Traffic Safety Digest  
Spring 2003
 
Project Characteristics
Outstanding, Collaborative Effort
Program Areas
Occupant Protection
Police Traffic Services

Type of Jurisdiction
Counties

Targeted Population
Vehicle Occupants

Jurisdiction Size
655,000

Funding
Section 157b: $280,000
Local: $75,000

Contact
Don Nail
NC Gov Hwy Safety Program
215 E. Lane Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 733-3083

Digest Listing


     

NORTH CAROLINA
Four-County Targeted Safety Belt Enforcement Campaign


PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Safety belt usage in North Carolina was 83.6 percent in Spring 2001. However, four counties experienced usage rates below 80 percent. Those counties and the corresponding usage rates are indicated below.

County Observed Safety Belt
Usage Rate (percentage)
Buncombe 78.2
Caldwell 79.5
Mecklenburg 79.1
Richmond 77.1

Although these counties participated in “Click It or Ticket” activities, they have been unable to achieve the state safety belt usage rate. To increase safety belt usage in these four counties, the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program launched a targeted “Click It or Ticket” campaign in April 2002.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goals of the program were to:

  • Increase safety belt usage rates in the four targeted counties to the statewide average of 83.6 percent;
  • Increase occupant protection enforcement in the four counties through the increased presence of state enforcement personnel; and
  • Increase awareness of the campaign by establishing localized “Click It or Ticket” media spots.

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

The four-county targeted safety belt enforcement campaign followed the state’s traditional “Click It or Ticket” model. However, the campaign utilized the more concentrated “wolfpack” patrols rather than the high visibility, multi-agency checkpoints. The enforcement efforts of local officers were supported by 100 colleagues from the State Highway patrol, division of Motor Vehicles Enforcement, and Alcohol Law Enforcement.

RESULTS

More than 10,000 safety belt and child restraint citations were issued during the two-week campaign. The table lists the results of the observational surveys for the four counties.

County Pre-Campaign % Post Campaign % Difference Est. Cost Savings
Buncombe 75.0 82.6 +8 $11.6M
Caldwell 76.0 89.4 +13 $6.3M
Mecklenburg 76.6 79.7 +3 $14.1M
Richmond 69.0 87.6 +19 $6.8M

    

 
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