California Pickup Truck Campaign | CALIFORNIA |
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1994, California passed legislation prohibiting people from riding in the back of a pickup
truck on a public roadway. Yet even after passage of that law in 1994, 32 people were killed
while occupying the cargo area of a pickup truck. Further, although data on fatalities to
occupants riding in the cab and cargo area were available, none covered non-fatal injuries. There
was no information available on the characteristics of who owns pickup trucks and the conditions
under which they are used. Occupant protection programs did not address travel in cargo areas of
pickup trucks, nor did any educational or informational materials explain pickup truck safety-related issues.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Pediatric Injury Prevention Research Group at the University of California, Irvine, with
support from the State of California Office of Traffic Safety, had originally formed the California
Pickup Truck Campaign to collect data supporting the need for legislation. Once legislation was
passed, their efforts continued to provide the educational component of this law prohibiting cargo
area travel. The campaign sought to provide this information to health professionals, highway
safety professionals, pickup truck owners and legislators. Information would include:
California Pickup Truck Campaign (cont'd)
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The project began with a survey of Riverside County, an area that represents both urban and rural
environments. Information was collected from 1,000 motor vehicle owners on pickup truck use,
demographics, restraint usage and other safety measures. The results of the survey were
published and an informational packet with fact sheets concerning pickup passenger safety was
developed.
This information aided in passing pickup truck legislation. After this legislation was passed in
1994 (Chapter 895, Statutes 1993), posters and brochures/flyers, and radio and television public
service announcements (PSAs) were created.
A 46-minute curriculum module entitled "Don't Be Human Cargo... deadly way to go" was
designed to educate students aged 15 -18. The module was designed with an interactive format,
encouraging debate of recognized barriers to safe behavior adoption such as peer pressure,
misconceptions about the incidence and severity of noncrash injuries and fatalities, the "loss of
personal freedom" argument, civil rights versus civic responsibility, and the "immortality of
youth" image.
RESULTS
The informational material and PSAs have been well received, with one PSA that targeted teens
and young adults winning the 1995 "Buckle Up America" award. Started in the greater Los
Angeles area, the project has been expanded, allowing this informational material to be
distributed statewide.
Because of the data generated from this project, other organizations have established position
statements and policies addressing travel in the cargo area of pickup trucks. The California
Department of Health Services included the
issue in its State Five Year Injury Control Plan,
and both the American Academy of Pediatrics
and the American Medical Association reviewed
the project prior to developing their policies.
The original survey conducted provided data
supporting the need for legislation prohibiting
travel in the cargo area of pickup trucks.