PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
After upgrading its seat belt law from secondary to primary enforcement in 1997, seat belt use in Oklahoma increased from 47 percent in 1996, to 60 percent in 1997. In 1998 however, seat belt use decreased to 56 percent, and Oklahoma residents experienced 769 traffic crash fatalities. To address these alarming statistics, the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office developed an ambitious paid multi-media advertising campaign, accompanied by a statewide enforcement blitz, to encourage Oklahoma residents to buckle up.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office established the What's Holding You Back, Oklahoma? campaign in May 2000, to reduce motor vehicle crash-related injuries and deaths throughout Oklahoma. Primary objectives of the program are to:

• Increase seat belt use among all Oklahomans, particularly male drivers between the ages of 18 and 34
• Conduct high visibility enforcement activities, including extra traffic duty tours and saturation patrols
• Develop an effective media campaign to appeal to all audiences, particularly young adult males ages 18 to 34

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In March 2000, staff from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office selected a Tulsa advertising firm to develop the What's Holding You Back, Oklahoma? campaign. This agency was chosen because of its history of successfully reaching young male adults. The firm conducted a literature review, and identified a list of theme messages. The phrase What's holding you back? was selected as the message most likely to resonate with the target audience.

During the next two months, the advertising firm developed the media campaign through audience research, creative work, production and media buys. Media selection was keyed to reaching the young male target group identified through surveys and crash data as over-represented in traffic crashes, and with historically lower seat belt use rates. Media buys ensured that the message would reach the highest-risk drivers, in areas where the most crashes had occurred.

All elements of the media campaign were kicked off with Oklahoma's Governor participating in a media event during Buckle Up America Week, in May 2000. The campaign included paid television advertisements, a public service announcement (PSA) campaign featuring an Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer; print newspaper and magazine features, outdoor posters on major roadways and theater screen spots. All messages combined the familiar image of the dashboard buckle-up icon with the What's Holding You Back, Oklahoma? campaign theme.

Throughout the media campaign, law enforcement agencies statewide conducted high visibility zero-tolerance enforcement activities, including extra traffic duty tours and saturation patrols, supported by local and state media.

RESULTS
Pre- and post-campaign telephone surveys of 300 respondents indicated a strong increase in the awareness of the What's Holding You Back, Oklahoma? campaign after the paid-media portion of the campaign was conducted, especially among males in the 18 to 34 year-old age group. The survey also indicated a 17 percent increase in stated seat belt use behavior for men, and a 12.5 percent increase for people ages 18 to 34.

An observational seat belt use survey conducted during the summer of 2000 revealed a 67.5 percent use rate, an increase of 6.8 percent from 1999, and the highest rate ever recorded in Oklahoma. Traffic crash fatalities also decreased as a result of the campaign, (from 739 in 1999, to 643 in 2000); and child safety seat use increased 14.3 percent, (from 62.5 percent in 1999, to 76.8 percent in 2000).

Zero-tolerance enforcement of occupant protection laws were conducted throughout the year, involving 220 law enforcement agencies throughout the state.