cross your heart not your fingers
Issue: # 2011008
March 29 2011
Click It--Don't Risk It Chronicle
In This Issue
Obesity and Old Age Present Additional Challenges
First Responder Seatbelt Pledge
Quick Links
Greetings!
Promoting safety belt use is happening all over this country because of the universal knowledge that safety belts save lives.  These stories are all from the last few months, and all involve citizen promotion of safety belt usage.  All promote the use of safety belts to save lives. 

These stories and many more on the internet describe efforts being made by average Americans and by different law enforcement entities to promote safety belt use.  People are running marathons, making posters, hosting speakers and playing Simon Says. There are many different ideas--what's yours?  How are you promoting safety belts in your community?  Some towns are up to 98%--how about yours?  Let us know what steps you're taking at: cidri@safenebraska.org

New Jersey

Missouri

Illinois

Kansas

New York

Texas

Obesity and Old Age Present Additional Challenges
As if getting people buckled up isn't enough of a challenge, research brings us some more questions.  Wards Auto.com reports that obesity and aging--2 characteristics continually getting more common in America--are presenting new challenges in the design of safety belts. 

Read the full article for details

The obese and the elderly are 2 groups who are traditionally averse to buckling up anyway, but who clearly need the safety the belt offers. Both groups cite the same reasons as any other group for non-use of the belts, but the obese also cite lack of comfort and the length limitations of the belts.  Elderly drivers may predate the presence of belts in vehicles and may resent being told what to do.  However, as the demands we place on safety belts evolve, the importance of ensuring that all Nebraskans use their belts increases. 

Keep up the good work of promoting safety belt usage.   

First Responder Seatbelt Pledge 

The last Chronicle offered information about police officers who don't buckle up.  Here's a website with common excuses from firefighters.

The website has a great name:  Everyone Goes Home.  At the end of the day, that's the goal, and it's especially sad if someone does not return home because of the lack of a belt.

How about your town?  Are your firefighters always buckled up?  This site also offers the First Responder Seatbelt Pledge.

"Motor vehicle crashes are the second-leading cause of firefighter fatalities in the United States and this effort aims to reduce the number of preventable fatalities," said Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. "Just as you need to get to the scene of a call quickly, you need to get there safely; buckling your seatbelt is the easiest safety measure you can take."
The "Click It Chronicle," our Click It Campaign e-letter, published whenever there is news, is available to all those interested in increasing safety belt usage.  Please share this information freely. Take the information, copy to friends, businesses and organizations with the same concerns.  Using the information provided will help reduce the needless fatalities and injuries on our highways and the associated costs. To subscribe to this e-letter, join the coalition, or be removed from the list, contact the Click It Team at cidri@safenebraska.org.