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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In the early 1990's,
the Illinois front seat occupant restraint use rate averaged
below 50 percent, and well below the national average of 62 percent.
At that time, the state adopted the popular Cops and Docs program
which joins physicians and law enforcement officers in speaking
to the community about the high costs of not using seat belts.
Seat belt use increased during the next several years, to a high
of 68.7 percent in 1995, then dropped to 64 percent in 1996—a
level deemed unacceptable by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the
Cops, Docs, and Friends For Life program was to reduce motor
vehicle crash-related fatalities and injuries in Illinois. Objectives
of the program included:
- Increasing seat
belt use in Illinois
- Developing a program
to enhance current occupant protection education efforts
- Continuing to promote
collaboration among groups most affected by vehicle crashes
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In January 1998,
the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic
Safety introduced a new element to the acclaimed Cops and Docs
program: Friends For Life. The Friends For Life component was
organized to open the Cops and Docs program to people who had
been affected by a vehicle crash in which the use or nonuse of
seat belts had played an important role in the crash consequences.
The criteria for membership in Friends For Life included three
categories:
- SAVED BY THE BELT
members were those who had survived a crash because of the use
of a seat belt or a child safety seat
- VICTIMS included
survivors of a crash, but whose lives had changed dramatically
because they had not worn seat belts when involved in the crash
- SURVIVORS included
family and friends of those who were not belted during a crash
and had died as a result
Potential members
in the Friends For Life program were identified by individual
"Cops" and "Docs," who submitted information
on likely candidates to the Division of Traffic Safety for membership
processing. Each new member received a certificate of appreciation
for their participation in the Friends For Life program and was
placed on a roster of members who were willing to assist with
media events, sharing their stories with the community. Crash
photos and personal testimonials served as graphic reminders
to motorists of the consequences of seat belt use or nonuse. |
