AORC Supports 'Click It or Ticket' Seat Belt Usage Mobilization

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2006 -- The Automotive Occupant Restraints Council (AORC) and its 50 members will once again lend their support to the more than 12,000 State and local law enforcement and highway safety officials during late May for an aggressive national campaign to crack down on safety belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities.

"For the past 10 years, the AORC has given more than $1,000,000 to support seat belt usage and proper rear-seat placement and restraint of children," said George F. Kirchoff, AORC president. "Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. When worn correctly, safety belts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent - and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs, and mini-vans," Kirchoff said.

Under the auspices of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), safety belt checkpoints and other stepped-up law enforcement activities will be conducted during the national 'Click It or Ticket' enforcement mobilization which runs from May 22 through June 4.

To date, Kirchoff noted, 22 states plus the District of Columbia have primary seat belt laws which allow a driver to be cited simply for not using the seat belt. Another 27 states have secondary seat belt laws which allow a driver to be cited for not wearing a seat belt only in conjunction with another driving violation. Only one state does not have any seat belt law, he said.

Kirchoff added that the average occupant fatality rate in vehicle accidents is 21 percent higher in states without primary seat belt laws. States with primary laws show a seven to 12 percent higher safety belt usage rate.

More information on the national 'Click It or Ticket' mobilization may be found at www.buckleupamerica.org.

The AORC, founded in 1961, is a non-profit, international organization that helps establish uniform production and quality standards for vehicle safety system components. Members include manufacturers and suppliers of airbags, airbag components, seat belts, automotive seating, and interior safety components. More information on the AORC may be found at www.aorc.org.