Occupant Protection Saving lives on college campuses.

Occupant Protection  The current safety belt usage rate is 88% in Illinois.  Populations not buckling up: year old males and those in rural areas  Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds in the United States.

Why Buckle-Up?  It’s the law in Illinois!  Illinois has a primary safety belt law, which allows law enforcement to pull driver’s over for NOT wearing their safety belt.

Buckle up…  It is the single most effective tool in preventing injury or death in motor vehicle crashes.  You are 4 times more likely to survive a crash if you remain in the vehicle.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lap/shoulder safety belts when worn properly reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent!

The costs….  Number One: YOUR LIFE  Over ¼ of the fatalities that occurred on Illinois Roadways in 2006, restraints were not used or used improperly.  If you get a ticket, it will cost you $55.

How to get involved at your school  When working with college students remember to make it interactive and offer prizes!  Assess the situation on your college campus, Do a Survey!  Include multiple groups and make it a competition.

Interactive Events  Have students participate in a trivia game. For each question answered correctly, they get a prize.  Trivia questions should center on the importance of safety belt usage.  Use a safety belt convincer.  Prizes: Food, Frisbees, backpacks, t-shirts

Do a survey!  The best information is information where students see the application to their lives!  Utilize campus police and conduct safety belt surveys at various locations on campus at various times.  Ask the school newspaper to sit in on the observations and cover the results of the survey.  Then USE the statistics, to make students buckle up!

Make it a competition  Choose an organization to lead the competition.  Choose the participating organizations.  Conduct random safety belt checks of these members.  Ask the school newspaper to run continuing results of the random belt checks.  Have the participating organizations create public service announcements or posters on the importance of safety belt usage!  Award PRIZES!!! Possible organizations:  Fraternities and Sororities  Sport teams  Major organizations  Dorms

For more information on College Occupant Protection programming… Northwestern OP Coordinator Melanie Wingo Winnebago County Health Department PHONE: FAX: Collar and Cook Counties OP Coordinator Tom McQueen Rush-Copley Medical Center PHONE: FAX: (630) (call Tom before you fax) Chicago OP Coordinator Wanda Vazquez Rehabilitation Institute of PHONE: FAX : West Central OP Coordinator Nicole Baer Child Care Resource and Referral Network PHONE: FAX: East Central OP Coordinator Jennifer Toney Child Care Resource and Referral Network PHONE: x 13 FAX: Southwestern OP Coordinator Rachel Walker Southern Illinois University Safety Center PHONE: FAX: Southeastern OP Coordinator Kathy White Wabash Area Development, Inc. PHONE: FAX: