Buckle Up Campaign

November 8, 2012  |  Jon P. Erickson

We at BGS are again asking all our clients and blog followers to Buckle Up.  Two recent articles in the StarTribune discussed the issues of motor vehicle deaths, and how seat belt use is so instrumental in preventing those deaths.
October Deadliest Month 2012 for Unbelted Fatalities
Seat Belt Use Reaches Record High
The good news is that seat belt use in Minnesota is at  a record 93.6{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} for drivers and passengers. The two main reasons for increased use appears to be the primary seat belt law, and the “Click it or Ticket” campaign. The one thing that is troubling is that drivers and passengers between 11 and 15 only have an 84{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} compliance rate. This suggests that we as parents and family members must continue to show and remind our young people to “buckle up” whenever we get the opportunity.
The bad news is that October was the deadliest month this year for deaths in accidents where the deceased did no buckle up. The last number was 15. So far this year, 87 vehicle occupants have died where they had not buckled up. In the full year of 2011 there were 120 deaths of motorists who were not buckled up, and 231 severely injured. Use of a seat belt could prevent the majority of those death and injuries.
Let’s all again do our part by buckling up, and by showing and telling our young people to do so as well!