PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Illinois has experienced
a significant increase in alcohol-related fatal traffic crashes during
the past two years. In 1998, of 1,393 total traffic crash fatalities
on Illinois roadways, 599 (43 percent) were alcohol-related. This high
rate of alcohol-involved crash fatalities is partially attributable
to a statewide seat belt use rate of 65 percent, well below the national
average. The Illinois Department of Transportation selected the City
of Springfield to provide statewide leadership in reducing alcohol-related
crash fatalities, and increasing the seat belt use rate.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Springfield Safe Communities
project was developed by the Illinois Department of Transportation,
in 1998, to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic crash fatalities,
and increase seat belt use throughout the city and surrounding areas.
Specific objectives of the project were to:
- Educate residents between
the ages of 16 and 34 about impaired driving and seat belt use, by
distributing safety messages at automobile dealerships, and presenting
an impaired driving simulator to teenagers at Springfield area schools
- Develop a pilot program,
with a local taxicab company and local liquor establishments, to provide
alternatives to impaired driving
- Contract with the Springfield
Police Department to provide additional enforcement hours in school
zones
- Implement a child safety
seat loaner program, sponsor a child safety seat checkpoint event
and participate in all other Springfield area checkpoint events
- Develop and implement
a bicycle safety information program and helmet distribution program
for students
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Illinois
Department of Transportation and Springfield community members collaborated
to develop a wide variety of initiatives targeting child safety seat
and occupant restraint issues. Representative activities comprising
the Springfield Safe Communities program include:
- Developing
a pilot program using traffic cones to reduce speeding within designated
school zones
- Presenting
a Bike Rodeo to promote bicycle and helmet safety among Springfield
community students
- Conducting
a county health and safety fair for fourth graders, focusing on injury
prevention, school bus safety, seat belt use, alcohol/drug awareness
and fire safety
- Implementing
a child passenger restraint awareness campaign featuring characters
such as Sara Safety and Buckle Bear, along with a child
safety seat loaner program for motorists who receive citations for
not using child restraints
- Initiating
Operation Alert Cab, which provides taxicab vouchers for local
liquor establishments to distribute to impaired patrons
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