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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
The Region 4 Office of
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) serves the
Southeastern states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. During the past several
years, this region has experienced a sharp increase in motor vehicle
crash-related deaths and injuries; exacerbated by a seat belt use rate
below the national average. In an effort to assist law enforcement agencies
in implementing successful occupant protection enforcement, NHTSA's
Region 4 Office developed the Five Star Plan.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Five Star Plan
is a Law Enforcement Administrator's Action Guide developed in 1999
by NHTSA's Region 4 Office. Its goal is to increase the enforcement
of safety belts and child safety seats throughout the Southeastern states.
Specific objectives of the publication are to:
- Provide a step-by-step
action plan for police officials to use in occupant protection enforcement
- Foster the development
of cooperative partnerships between law enforcement, local government
and community leaders, the media and the general public
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Five Star Plan provides five components
for developing a successful occupant protection enforcement program.
Components include: Political Permission, Community Partnerships, Media
Support, Training and Enforcement. The guide addresses the basis for
each component, and how each is essential to the implementation of a
successful seat belt enforcement campaign. It emphasizes the combination
of high visibility enforcement in conjunction with a concentrated media
campaign. It also encourages the development of new partnerships. The
plan was modeled after Region 4's most successful enforcement programs
including Click It or Ticket (North Carolina) and Strap N'
Snap (Georgia). The five plan components incorporate the following
activities:
- POLITICAL PERMISSION—This
component encourages the development of cooperative relationships
between elected officials, the judiciary, law enforcement and the
general public. With the support of elected officials, law enforcement
agencies are better able to promote public education and high-visibility
safety belt enforcement within their communities
- COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS—Formation of partnerships
within the community allow citizens to become personally involved
in traffic safety issues. Partnerships are formed through town meetings,
editorial boards, community talk shows, media events and area briefings
- MEDIA SUPPORT—This key element of the plan provides
for the dissemination of important safety messages. Media events promote
enforcement efforts, and facilitate community involvement
- TRAINING—The central element of an effective
enforcement program, because it provides law enforcement officers,
local government leaders, the judiciary and all program participants
with information and motivation, increasing confidence and involvement
- ENFORCEMENT—The most critical component of a
successful safety belt and child passenger safety enforcement program;
this is essential for achieving significant increases in safety belt
use
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