Reprinted with permission of the Willow Glen Resident

Seat belt campaign is targeted at teenagers

For many teens, a driver's license is a ticket to freedom. No more car pools. No more embarrassing parental pick-ups and drop-offs at school. But tragically a license is also a ticket to an early death for too many teens. So, how do we get this group to buckle up when they think tragedy won't happen to them? Surround them with the strong message, "Click It or Ticket: If you won't buckle up to save your life, then buckle up to save yourself a ticket," and back it up with strong enforcement.

From May 24 through June 6, more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies and campus safety departments in all 50 states will be cracking down on seat belt scofflaws as they conduct the national Click It or Ticket Mobilization. The message will be delivered to teens and college students through more than $30 million in congressionally funded, national and state advertising, Internet chat rooms and public address systems in high schools, in addition to enforcement in locations where young people congregate such as schools and shopping malls.

Our police department intends to initiate increased vehicle patrols around the adjacent city streets surrounding our two campuses. This is intended to act as an immediate deterrent to seatbelt violators, and we plan to vigorously issue traffic citations. The police department also plans to publicize the campaign and increase awareness among its student population by initiating public service announcements on college radio stations and through articles in the campus newspapers.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young children and adults ages two to 20. When examining fatalities, it is apparent that a large number of these deaths could have been prevented if drivers and passengers had simply buckled up.

Although seat belt use is at a national high—79 percent—a disproportionate number of those still unbuckled are teenagers and young men in their early 20s. At 69 percent, safety belt use for teens and young adults ages 16 to 24 continues to lag behind the rest of population. It's important to note that this is a daytime number; we know that nighttime belt use is much lower among teens and young adults.

By buckling up, college students could save more than just money from hefty fines, they could save their lives.

Larry Lutzow, Chief of Police
San Jose/Evergreen College District Police Department

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