PROGRAMS

Seat Belts

Overview

Washington State seeks to maintain and improve our 96.5 percent daytime seat belt use rate and improve nighttime seat belt use with continued efforts that instill the habit of buckling up in a population that began using seat belts as a result of the adoption of the seat belt law in 1986.

Washington's Seat Belt Law

Issues

To continue progress toward getting Washington motorists to buckle up, Washington has a comprehensive plan designed to maintain recent seat belt rate gains made up to this time and improvements in low use rate areas such as among high risk drivers and nighttime drivers.  The plan includes numerous, highly-visible seat belt enforcement mobilizations that take place in conjunction with national Click It or Ticket mobilizations and that go beyond that, to include sustained enforcement patrols that keep Click It or Ticket alive throughout the year. Specific activities include:

• Conduct two statewide, highly-visible seat belt enforcement mobilizations, the first will coincide with NHTSA’s May – June, 2009 Click It or Ticket mobilization. The second statewide mobilization will take place in the fall months of 2009. 
• The enforcement efforts are supported with comprehensive public information campaigns that include paid and earned media, as well as collateral support to carry forward the messaging into the community. Communications efforts are directed at the non-use population.  Message materials focus on key NHTSA supported themes, such as the importance of seat belt use, the cost to the individual and society of non-use, and the activity surrounding the law enforcement efforts.
• A statewide observational survey of seat belt use conducted in June, 2009. Smaller observational surveys of 40 locations conducted before and after the statewide mobilizations to determine their impact.
• Organize local patrols that take place in targeted locations and supported with earned media.  All enforcement efforts strictly adhere to the research-tested, Click It or Ticket best practice model.
  

Earned Media 

Similar to the efforts undertaken to publicize the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilizations, during the Spring and Fall, 2009 mobilizations, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission will conduct extensive activities aimed at generating earned media coverage. These efforts will include:

*  Press notifications, events and the promotion of law enforcement “ride-alongs” aimed at securing media coverage will take place in all media markets prior to, during, and after the mobilizations.
*  Posters will be distributed to stores where people buy alcohol to alert them to the nighttime patrols with the subtle message that people who are likely to drive impaired should make note of this extra enforcement activity. The posters will also be distributed to bars in the large population centers.
*  Variable message road signs will carry the message on busy roads in major cities. This type of messaging has the added benefit of no competition for the attention of the viewer and unparalleled reach and frequency.

*  The enthusiasm and support of Community Traffic Safety Task Force Coordinators located in the major cities will be tapped to facilitate communication about the campaign with key stakeholder populations (elected officials, emergency responders, the business community, law enforcement and others) which will carry forward the reach of the campaign.
*  Task Force Coordinators will enlist the assistance of their local business owners to put the “Click-It or Ticket” message on their community reader boards and locally-owned variable message signs.
* Law enforcement will be given fliers to hand to motorists they pull over in advance of the campaign and during the campaign. This will further extend the reach of the campaign. Law enforcement public information officers will also be called upon to extend the messaging of the campaign.
* Extensive efforts will be undertaken statewide to get the media to pick up the story.
* 625 Click It or Ticket road signs across the state will further the reach of the message.
* The WTSC will make every effort to ensure that the 125 Variable message road signs owned and operated by the State Department of Transportation will carry the Click It or Ticket message during the major mobilizations.

Paid Media

The air buy will be developed by an air buy firm working on contract for the Commission. Every effort will be made to procure at least one bonus media placement for each media placement purchased and in the time slot purchased. The air buy contractor will audit the media buy when it is underway to ensure that placements were made in the agreed-to time and, if not, will re-negotiate to obtain even better placements than originally negotiated.

Resource Information

Washington's Seat Belt Use Rate By County

Find quick answers to specific questions about Washington's seat belt law on the Washington State Patrol "Frequently Asked Questions" site.

Contact Information

News Release announcing Washington's Seat Belt Use Rate climbs to 96.5%

Traffic Safety Fact Sheets
Traffic Safety News Releases

Watch traffic safety educational videos and ads on YouTube. Visit www.youtube.com/trafficsafety