The Idaho Office of Highway Safety’s (OHS) next week will launch a “Click It, Don’t Risk It!” campaign to increase safety belt use. The campaign features a crash survivor to help emphasize the message that seat belts save lives. Darlene Root shares the story of how she and her family walked away from a rollover crash because they wore seat belts. (See related story.)

The campaign includes paid advertising and, from May 17 through June 6, increased state and local law enforcement patrols for seat belt violators. Officers also will watch for risky driving behaviors such as following too close, driving too fast, running red lights or rolling through stop signs.

“Buckling up remains the single-best defense against serious injury or death for you and your passengers, if you’re involved in a crash,” says Mary Hunter, OHS Adult Occupant Protection Specialist. “The Roots are living proof that.”

On average, five Idahoans are either killed or seriously injured every day in traffic crashes. During 2003 in Idaho, 63 percent of the 239 occupants who died in motor vehicle crashes in Idaho were not wearing seat belts. About half of those killed would have lived had they been wearing safety restraints, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“‘Click It, Don’t Risk It!’ is a serious warning to all motorists and passengers on Idaho’s roads,” Hunter says. “Motorists are reminded to properly restrain themselves and their children to avoid a ticket – or much worse, serious injury or death.”

Idaho law requires everyone in a vehicle to wear safety restraints. Other provisions under the law include: