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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In
1997, the seat belt use rate in Washington was 86 percent, one of the
highest in the nation. The state has met the president's national goal
for seat belt use by the year 2000, and continues to support the Buckle
Up America! campaign, working toward the initiative's year 2005
goal of 90 percent seat belt use nationally. In an effort to encourage
seat belt use among all residents of Washington, traffic safety advocates
held several safety belt survivor conferences during the summer of 1998.
The Washington Safety Commission's Safety Belt Survivor Conference was
held in the City of Lynnwood. In addition, two day-long Safety Belt
Survivor Conferences, hosted by the Washington Safety Restraint Coalition
and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, were held in Spokane and
Seattle.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Safety
Belt Survivor Conferences was to bring together families who had survived
severe motor vehicle crashes, because they wore safety belts, to discuss
ways to encourage others to buckle up. Specific objectives of the conferences
were to:
- Allow survivors the opportunity
to interact with representatives of law enforcement, community leaders
and activists, members of public health and medical communities, media
and legislators
- Discuss possible methods
to persuade motorists to practice safe driving
- Use media support to
publicize the importance of using seat belts, and the possible consequences
of non-use
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
All three
Seat Belt Survivor Conferences were held in the summer of 1998, with
a wide variety of participants including traffic safety advocates, law
enforcement agencies, public health and medical representatives, legislators,
community leaders and the local media. Traffic crash survivors recounted
their stories, many of them very emotional. One man from Anacortes,
Washington spoke of his experiences in two crashes, one in 1957, when
seat belts had to be obtained from the airport, and one forty years
later in 1997. He credited seat belt use with his survival in both cases.
The survivors'
stories were filmed for use in public service announcements, and all
participated in photo shoots for posters and educational brochures.
"I Survived" bumper stickers and t-shirts were distributed to survivors
at the conferences, along with other promotional items
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