PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Although significant progress
has been made since 1996, seat belt use among African Americans remains
lower than the overall seat belt use rate nationwide. In 1996 the seat
belt use rate for African Americans was 51.2 percent, while the national
average was 69 percent. In 1998, seat belt use among African Americans
rose to 65.3 percent, while the national average increased to 70 percent.
This important increase for black Americans is due in part to a variety
of partnerships established between the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and organizations in the African American community.
These include the NAACP, National Urban League, National Black Nurses
Association, National Council of Negro Women, Congress of National Black
Churches and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
NHTSA representatives have provided Buckle Up America presentations
at national conferences for each of these organizations.
Since the passage of a primary
seat belt law in Georgia, which allows law enforcement officers to stop
and give unbelted drivers a citation, efforts to promote seat belt use
among African Americans are directed toward public awareness and education
initiatives.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In an effort to increase
seat belt use among African Americans, the Georgia Governor's Office
of Highway Safety hosted an African American Highway Safety Summit.
The summit was held on October 29, 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the
Historical Underground Georgia Railroad Freight Depot. This important
event was the first of its kind, and its goal was to address the issue
of the disproportionate number of African Americans killed and injured
in motor vehicle crashes on Georgia's highways. Specific objectives
of the summit included:
- Providing a national perspective
on the issue of low seat belt use among African Americans
- Promoting the national
seat belt use goals of the Buckle Up America! campaign
- Addressing the alarming
consequences of low seat belt use for young African American males
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
More than 175 local and statewide community leaders
participated in the African American Highway Safety Summit. These included
legislators, law enforcement agencies, representatives of the medical
community, insurance professionals, judges and local and state elected
officials. Members of the media including television, radio and newspapers
provided full coverage of the event. A national insurance company expressed
support for the summit by providing lunch for attendees.
A highlight of the summit was a presentation by
Captain DUI and his Honor Squad. This Georgia police officer
was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which he and his family were
hit by a man driving under the influence of alcohol. Although the crash
left the officer permanently disfigured, his life was saved because
he wore a seat belt.
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