PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Each year, motorists in Marion County, Indiana experience more than 35,000 motor vehicle crashes. However, on an average, only 69 percent of county drivers routinely wear seat belts, with some areas averaging less than 40 percent.

The Marion County Traffic Safety Partnership was developed in 1994 with funding provided by the Indiana Governor's Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving. The Partnership was formed through the proactive support of the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, local law enforcement agencies and traffic safety advocates. This coalition coordinates a variety of traffic safety initiates in Indianapolis and Marion County. During 1999, coalition members committed their efforts to developing an initiative to increase seat belt use by the motoring public.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Indiana has a primary seat belt law which enables law enforcement officers to issue citations when they are observed. However, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that officers may not indiscriminately stop motorists to see if they are wearing their seat belts. To increase safety belt usage compliance, members of the Traffic Safety Partnership developed Seat Belt Enforcement Zones. The primary objectives of these enforcement zones are to:

• Combine public awareness initiatives and enforcement efforts
• Utilize multi-agency personnel from participating law enforcement agencies
• Operate on a zero tolerance policy for violations
• Inform residents about current seat belt usage rates using metal signs posted at various county locations

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Seat Belt Enforcement Zones were not designed to function as checkpoints. Rather, law enforcement officers are positioned in the median or street at specified locations throughout the county, and flag over motorists they observe not wearing their seat belts. Variable message and portable signs advise motorists that they are traveling through an enforcement zone. The Partnership initiates the following activities to conduct enforcement zones:

• Zones are located along heavily traveled roadways which routinely experience high crash and low seat belt use rates
• Officers operate each enforcement zone for a period of 2 to 4 hours
• Special events are conducted to increase media interest and educate the public

RESULTS
During the initial six months of program operation, coalition members conducted 17 Seat Belt Enforcement Zones at a variety of locations throughout Marion County. Specific sites selected were those identified as having a high volume of traffic crashes and low seat belt usage. Law enforcement officers working in the zones issued a total of 1,113 seat belt citations during this period. This number represents an average of five seat belt citations per officer for each hour of enforcement zone operation. Overall observed seat belt use increased an average of 7 percent at enforcement zone locations during this six-month interval. Passenger car seat belt use rose from 67 percent to 72 percent, and truck driver seat belt use increased from 37 percent to 49 percent.

The Seat Belt Enforcement Zones received significant attention from the news media, and public awareness of primary seat belt enforcement throughout the greater Indianapolis- Marion County metropolitan area increased significantly. Partnership members contributed to the program's success by providing in-kind contributions of personnel and other resources.

FALL 2000