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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
From 1996 to 1998, 34
children age 4 and under lost their lives while riding in a motor vehicle
on Florida highways because they were not properly restrained in child
safety seats. Many parents of young children are not aware of the importance
of child safety seats, and of those who are aware, many cannot afford
to purchase a child safety seat.
In 1995, the Florida Legislature
authorized the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to solicit $2 donations
from Florida motorists to help purchase child safety seats. Motorists
who register a vehicle or renew their vehicle's registration may voluntarily
donate $2 to the Highway Safety Operating Trust for the purchase of
child safety seats. Although the concept was proposed by the Florida
Highway Patrol (FHP) and became effective July 1, 1995, no action was
taken to coordinate the program until the FHP was given the opportunity
to implement it in June 1997.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of The Two Dollar
Difference program, implemented in 1997, is to reduce child passenger
fatalities and injuries in Florida, by placing all children in age-appropriate
child safety seats. The primary objectives of the effort are to:
- Enlist the aid of county
tax collectors to participate in the program and advise DMV program
planners on all activities, including program promotions and child
seat distribution
- Provide promotional items
to motorists who donate, and reward the efforts of collectors and
clerks through an awards and recognition program
- Form a partnership with
county tax collectors, to provide the opportunity for them to determine
the distribution methods for funds collected within each county, ensuring
that each dollar donated in a county will be returned to that county
in the form of child safety seats
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
A 30-second public service announcement (PSA)
was filmed at the Annual Tax Collectors Conference, featuring a generic
20-second description of the donation opportunity and a 10- second appeal
from individual tax collectors. The PSA is aired on cable television
networks throughout Florida. To increase the visibility of the donation
program, the FHP provides tax collectors with copies of the PSA, posters
and a variety of other public information materials. FHP officers also
make personal appearances to emphasize the importance of the program.
When a patrol officer observes a motorist with an
unrestrained child, the officer stops the vehicle and cites the driver.
After issuing the citation, the officer has the opportunity to provide
the motorist with a voucher for a free child safety seat. The motorist
may then go to a designated location where safety seats are distributed;
usually the local county tax collector's office.
The FHP and DMV work closely with tax collectors
to encourage donations and recognize individual tax clerks who actively
promote the $2 donation when registrations are renewed.
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