Be Sure to ‘Click It’ This Holiday Weekend
By Gary Gately, HealthScoutNews Reporter
HealthScoutNews — As millions of Americans hit the road to celebrate the unofficial start of summer this weekend, they’re being urged to buckle up — or else.
“Click It or Ticket Mobilization” — which runs through Monday — represents the biggest nationwide law-enforcement effort ever to encourage seatbelt use, federal officials say.
The campaign involves 12,000 law-enforcement agencies that will conduct seatbelt checkpoints and take other steps to encourage people to buckle up.
The enforcement blitz is backed by more than $20 million in state and national advertising, including “Click It or Ticket” television spots.
“The best safety device you’ve got is your seatbelt,” says Liz Neblett, a spokeswoman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “It’s one of the oldest safety features in your vehicle, but people forget to use it.”
About 75 percent of Americans used seatbelts last year, but the proportion declined to about 69 percent for teens and young adults, according to NHTSA statistics.
“If everybody buckled up, there would be another 9,000 lives saved each year,” Neblett says.
An estimated 29 million Americans will travel by car at least 50 miles from home this Memorial Day weekend, the American Automobile Association estimates.
It’s a traditionally dangerous weekend to be on the roads. Last year, 482 people died in U.S. auto accidents during the three-day holiday weekend, the NHTSA says.
More often than not, alcohol is involved in fatal crashes. In 2001, the latest year for which statistics on alcohol-related crashes were available, 55 percent of the Memorial Day weekend crashes were alcohol-related, Neblett says.
Another culprit in crashes is sleepy drivers, and a study last year in the British Medical Journal underscored the danger. New Zealand researchers found sleepy drivers were eight times more likely to crash than alert ones.
Neblett says drivers should get plenty of rest and travel no more than three hours without stopping for a break.
Experts offer drivers these other tips for safe travel:
– Bring bright markers you can place on the roadway in case you break down.
– Know where you’re going, and have maps ready so you don’t have to try to find them when you’re driving.
– Allow plenty of time to get where you’re going.
– Make sure babies and children are in proper safety seats. All children under 12 should sit in the back seat. Never put a rear-facing seat in front of a passenger-side airbag.
– Try to avoid using a cell phone while driving.
– Don’t overload your vehicle.
– Check your battery as well as your tire tread and pressure. Consult the owner’s manual for recommended tire pressure; it’s often not the same as the maximum on the side of the tires.
– Check oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, automatic transmission fluid, power steering fluid and windshield-washer fluid.
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On the Net:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Automobile Dealers Association
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