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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1997, traffic
safety statistics for Houston, Texas revealed that 61 percent
of children passengers in motor vehicles were not properly restrained
by seat belts or child safety seats. In addition, 60 percent
of adult drivers and passengers did not wear seat belts. Traffic
safety advocates observed that unsafe driving habits were particularly
acute in Houston's Hispanic communities, precipitating tragedies
in which unrestrained children and youth were killed in traffic
crashes.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the
Buckling Up For Life—Safety Week in Houston project was
to prevent motor vehicle crash-related fatalities and injuries,
particularly those suffered by Hispanic American children and
youth. The objectives of the project included:
- Developing a new
occupant protection program
- Targeting Houston's
Hispanic communities—particularly children and youth
- Building on the
success of the current occupant protection program, Buckling
Up For Life
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1997, an instructor
at the Houston Community College (HCC), Southeast—a strong
advocate for traffic safety, and architect of the Buckling Up
For Life program—discovered that members of the Hispanic
community located near the college practiced particularly unsafe
driving habits. Many children were allowed to ride in the backs
of pickup trucks, children were permitted to ride sitting on
the laps of passengers in the front seats and young adult drivers
either did not use seat belts or used the belts improperly. A
particularly grizzly fatal crash involving five teenagers led
the traffic safety advocate to expand the Buckling Up For Life
program, giving rise to Safety Week in Houston. The purpose of
the program was to focus intense attention on traffic safety
problems during the week prior to Labor Day, thereby checking
unsafe traffic habits before they occurred during one of the
busiest traffic times of the year. The program was designed to
target Houston's Hispanic communities (Hispanic Americans comprise
32 percent of Houston's population), and included activities
tailored for non-English speaking motor vehicle operators and
children. These activities were included in the program:
- A bilingual instructor's
manual was created and bilingual traffic safety workshops were
conducted throughout the Hispanic community
- During Safety Week
in Houston, the Buckling Up For Life message was displayed on
a large billboard close to the target community
- A traffic safety
poster contest was conducted in 15 local schools, sponsored by
HCC, where the winning posters were prominently displayed
- Traffic safety
public service announcements (PSAs) were developed and distributed
to the media
- HCC student volunteers
distributed educational materials, campus police and security
checkpoints were conducted and Buckle Up! signs were conspicuously
displayed throughout the campus
- The final day of
Safety Week in Houston was distinguished by a ceremony recognizing
the efforts of those who had been instrumental in the success
of the program. Participants included law enforcement representatives,
judges and students and faculty from HCC. Certificates and awards
were bestowed and child safety seats were presented to parents
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