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Public reminded to ‘click it or ticket’
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Posted on May 28 2005
The Department of Public Safety continues its push for motorists to buckle up as part of efforts related to the designation of May 24 to May 31 as Buckle-Up CNMI Week.
The 2005 Buckle-Up CNMI Planning Committee has been conducting presentations throughout the entire month for various schools and organizations in hopes of influencing more individuals to protect their lives and those of their passengers while traveling on the road.
Another proclamation signed by Gov. Juan N. Babauta recognizes May 23 to June 5 as the Click It or Ticket Mobilization weeks, reminding motorists that the least of their worries when not using seatbelts is receiving a ticket from DPS.
According to the committee, hospital care costs for unbuckled crash victims are 50 percent higher than for those buckled up. The push to increase seat belt use rate from 68 to 90 percent will help prevent an estimated 5,536 fatalities and 132,670 injuries throughout the nation. Child fatalities will also be reduced by 25 percent.
Surveys conducted on Saipan revealed a 74-percent usage rate of seatbelts.
The committee stressed that 70 percent of the time, children do not buckle up when the driver does not use a seatbelt.
In 2003 alone, national data showed that 59 percent of all 18 to 34-year-old passengers killed in crashes were not wearing safety belts.
In fatal crashes, 74 percent of all passengers using seatbelts survived in 2003, while only 42 percent of those not wearing the belt survived.
Between 1975 and 2000, safety belts prevented 135,000 fatalities and 3.8 million injuries, saving $585 billion in medical and other costs nationwide. Also, if all vehicle occupants used safety belts during the same period, nearly 315,000 deaths and 5.2 million injuries would have been prevented, which in turn would have resulted in $913 billion saved.
A check up station was set up at Microl-Toyota in San Jose from 12pm to 5pm yesterday. Car seat technicians were on hand to demonstrate the proper ways to install car seats.
Refreshments were provided and prizes given out.
