Automakers Back Nationwide Safety Belt Enforcement Campaign Focusing on Teens

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2003 -- The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers today announced its strong support for a Memorial Day national safety belt mobilization aimed at increasing seat belt use, particularly among teens and young adults, demographic groups in which safety belt lags behind national averages.

During the national Click It Or Ticket Mobilization, which begins May 19 and runs through the Memorial Day holiday, more than 12,000 law enforcement agencies in all 50 states will enhance their enforcement of safety belt laws.

"We applaud law enforcement nationwide for its efforts to save young lives on our nation's roadways," said Alliance President & CEO Josephine S. Cooper. "Auto safety is a shared responsibility among automakers, the government and consumers. We need drivers to meet us halfway by taking three seconds when they get into their car to reach over their shoulders and buckle their safety belts."

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that fatality rates for teens are twice that of older drivers, and the risk of crashes for teens is four times that of older drivers. While national seat belt use is 75 percent, the 25 percent who don't buckle up are disproportionately teens and young men ages 18-34. At 66 percent, teen belt use is far behind the rest of the population.

"If America had Canada's high rate of safety belt use -- 92 percent -- about 4,500 additional American lives could be saved each year," Cooper added.

The campaign relies on periods of intense enforcement of seat belt laws coupled with aggressive advertising and media outreach to let people know about the enforcement. For many non-seat belt users, and especially young people, the threat of a ticket has proven to be a greater incentive to buckle up than the threat of injury or death. According to NHTSA, seat belt use in states that conduct high visibility enforcement is 10 to 15 percentage points higher than in states that simply conduct public education.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that at least 9,000 people will be killed in traffic crashes this year because they were not wearing safety belts, which is equivalent to a 737 plane crash every week for a year.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is an association of 10 car and light truck manufacturers who account for more than 90 percent of U.S. vehicle sales. For more information, visit the Alliance website at www.autoalliance.org.