Michigan Office of Highway Safety Reports Show Belt Use Up and Fatalities Down Planning

    LANSING, Mich., March 9 All signs indicate Michigan's
first year with a standard enforcement safety belt law has been a huge
success, both in terms of increased safety belt use and a decrease in traffic
fatalities, reports the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
    Col. Michael D. Robinson, director of the Michigan State Police, and James
K. Haveman, Jr., director of the Michigan Department of Community Health,
today shared preliminary results from information gathered to evaluate and
analyze the effectiveness of the law change.
    "This law is doing everything we said it would.  It has increased safety
belt use in record time and decreased traffic fatalities," Robinson said.
He reported that belt use is at a record-high 83.5 percent, jumping from the
70 percent the state experienced with a secondary enforcement law.  The
increase in belt use happened within just two weeks of the law's effective
date, March 10, 2000, the biggest jump recorded in the shortest time by any
state to change its law to date.
    The state's goal is to reach 90 percent belt use by 2003.
    And, higher belt use rates are equating into fewer fatalities, Haveman
said.  Although fatality statistics for 2000 are still preliminary until mid-
May, he said present figures show 76 fewer fatalities from March through
December 2000 compared to the same period in 1999.
    "When we're able to collect a full year of data, it appears we will come
very close to saving 100 lives, just as we predicted," he said.  "The health
community is delighted with this phenomenal success and what it means for the
health and welfare of our children, families and friends."
    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has hired the Preusser
Research Group to formally evaluate the impact of Michigan, Alabama and New
Jersey's seat belt law change to standard enforcement.  This evaluation will
include seat belt use observations, motorist surveys and the operational
experience of supervisors and officers within selected police agencies in
several communities around the state, so as to track the progress of the seat
belt law over time.
    The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning launched a massive,
statewide public information campaign in early 2000 to alert motorists the law
was changing.  That campaign, Click it or Ticket, is now the state's most
well-known traffic safety message.
    In addition to public information efforts, the state's law enforcement
community has continued periodic high-visibility enforcement efforts.  Click
it or Ticket campaigns conducted by the Drive Michigan Safely Task Force took
place over Memorial Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving in 2000.
    Robinson announced the next upcoming enforcement period will take place
over Memorial Day, when hundreds of state law enforcement agencies will again
unite to step up safety belt enforcement efforts.
    "These high-profile campaigns are essential to maintain our high belt use
and reach our goal of 90 percent belt use," he added.
    Michigan's safety belt law requires:
    *  All front seat occupants to wear safety belts
    *  All vehicle occupants under 16 to be buckled up, in all seating
positions
    *  All children under 4 to be in a properly secured child safety seat in
all seating positions.