| Project
Characteristics |
Seat
Belt Use Education and Enforcement
|
| Program
Areas |
| Occupant
Protection |
Type
of Jurisdiction |
| National
Park |
Targeted
Population |
| Permanent
Staff and Visiting Public |
Jurisdiction
Size |
244,00
Acres
950,000 Visitors
60 Staff
11 Law Enforcement Officers |
Funding |
| Badlands
Natural History Association: $1,000 |
Contact |
Mark
Gorman
Chief Law Enforcement Ranger
Badlands Nat'l Park
PO Box 6, Hwy 240
Interior, SD 57750
(605) 433-5232
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Digest
Listing
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SOUTH DAKOTA
Buckle Up
Badlands
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
When the Buckle Up Badlands project was initiated, the area
surrounding the Badlands National Park had a seat belt usage rate of 38.6
percent. The project was designed to educate more than 950,000 annual park
visitors and National Park Service (NPS) employees of the life saving and
injury preventing benefits of using a seat belt. The educational and
enforcement efforts informed park visitors and employees of South
Dakota’s seat belt laws and the National Park primary enforcement policy
set forth in a Presidential Executive Order (Number 13043).
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goals and objectives of the Buckle Up Badlands
project were to use education, awareness, and enforcement to increase seat
belt awareness, seat belt use, and ultimately decrease injury and death
due to crashes.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The following strategies and activities were performed:
-
Printed the seat belt awareness logo in 347,000 copies of the
park mailer, Prairie Preamble.
-
Started every evening program with a seat belt safety
message.
-
Posted seat belt safety messages at all station entrances.
-
Gave incentives, such as a coupon for a free park postcard
from the gift shop, to parties wearing seat belts when entering the
park.
-
Conducted random seat belt use compliance checks.
-
Conducted the Ranger’s Operation Buckle It or Ticket
campaign, a park version of the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) effort.
-
Participated in area, regional, and national mobilizations,
and special enforcement efforts during the 2001 ABC (radio,
television, and print media) “Cops and Docs” event in Rapid City
(sponsored by Rapid City Regional Hospital).
RESULTS
As a result of the Buckle Up Badlands project:
-
Over 500,000 park visitors received the buckle-up message.
-
More than 21,000 visitors received seat belt safety messages
during daily programs.
-
The Buckle Up logo was placed on 180,000 mailers and
handouts.
-
Posted messages and signs were viewed by occupants of 347,000
vehicles entering the three main park entrances during 2001.
-
One thousand free postcards were distributed as an incentive
to those entering the park buckled up.
-
After eight random checks, the seat belt use rate was
measured at 84 percent.
-
Park rangers participated in national seat mobilization
efforts with 8,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide.
-
The project was conducted with minimal cost. Most of the work
was donated (e.g., print space on existing brochures, postcard incentives).
No cost was incurred to add the safety message to the evening
programs. Law enforcement rangers conducted survey and enforcement
efforts during normal patrol duty time.
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