Announcements: Click It or Ticket Campaign --- May 24--June 6, 2010

Announcements: Click It or Ticket Campaign --- May 24--June 6, 2010
Weekly
May 21, 2010 / 59(19);593


In 2008, motor-vehicle crashes resulted in 26,689 deaths to motor-vehicle occupants (excluding motorcyclists), and approximately 2.5 million occupants were treated for injuries in emergency departments in the United States (1,2). Using a seat belt is one of the most effective means of preventing serious injury and death in the event of a crash. Although seat belt use in the United States is now estimated at nearly 84% and has prevented approximately 13,000 deaths in 2008, millions of persons still continue to travel unrestrained (1,3). Some groups, including men and young adults (i.e., persons aged 18--34 years), are less likely to use seat belts than others (4). Consequently, young adult males have high rates of crash fatalities (2). If every person had worn a seat belt in 2008, an additional 4,152 lives could have been saved (1).

Click It or Ticket (observed May 24--June 6, 2010) is an annual, national campaign coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to increase the proper use of seat belts. Law enforcement agencies across the nation participate by conducting intensive, high-visibility enforcement of seat belt laws. This year, the campaign continues its focus on young adult males and includes daytime and nighttime enforcement activities. Additional information about Click It or Ticket activities is available from NHTSA at http://www.nhtsa.gov. Additional information about preventing motor-vehicle crash injuries is available from CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety.

References
1.National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic safety facts 2008. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation; 2009. Available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811170.pdf . Accessed May 11, 2010.
2.CDC. WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System). Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars. Accessed May 11, 2010.
3.National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Seat belt use in 2009---overall results. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation; 2009. Available at
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/811100.pdf . Accessed May 11, 2010.
4.Beck LF, Shults RA, Mack KA, Ryan GW. Associations between sociodemographics and safety belt use in states with and without primary enforcement laws. Am J Public Health 2007;97:1619--24.

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Announcements: Click It or Ticket Campaign --- May 24--June 6, 2010