Our last blog mentioned that more Louisiana drivers are wearing their seatbelts, and efforts like the Click it or Ticket campaign are the reason. However, do you know how poor seatbelt use has been in the past?
Before 1980, usage of seat belts in the United States lingered around 11 percent despite volunteer and educational campaigns at local, county, and state levels. Between 1980 and 1984, individual organizations, public education programs, incentives and policy changes strove to increase the use of seat belts. However, these efforts failed to significantly raise seatbelt usage in large, metropolitan areas. By the end of the effort, national seat belt usage had reached only 15 percent.
One statistic from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) really drives home the effectiveness of seatbelts. According to the NHTSA, in 2010, if all passenger vehicle occupants age 5 and older wore seatbelts, an additional 3,341 lives would have been saved. Moreover, 78 percent of all car crash victims ejected from the car suffered fatal injuries. A seatbelt would have kept them restrained in the vehicle.
The Click it or Ticket campaign appears to be working in raising awareness. A survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies found that 83 percent of 800 United States citizens surveyed had seen, read, or heard about the Click It or Ticket campaign. Additionally, 81 percent of the public supports the effort.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans accident lawyers