Today the majority of people in Wright County rarely think about seat belts. For most people putting on a seat belt or buckling up their children in a child or booster seat is a habit. They give seat belts no more attention than they do putting on shoes to go outside or brushing their teeth. 94.8% of Minnesotans wear a seatbelt regularly. Wright County is in the cluster of areas with the highest belt use. Our goal then, at Safe Communities of Wright County, is to find a way to reach those Minnesotans and Wright County residents who have not yet made seat belt use a habit.
We are concerned that not everyone has made seat belt use a habit for many reasons. We know that people who do not buckle up are least likely to buckle-up their children or children that ride with them. It’s one thing for an adult to make a decision not to use the life-saving safety device, but it’s another thing for that adult to decide not to keep a child safe in a motor vehicle. We also know that people who do not wear a seat belt are more likely, especially after years of additional traffic enforcement and public education campaigns, to engage in other unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding, impaired driving and distracted or inattentive driving.
So then, how do we encourage seat belt use for those who have not yet made it a habit and why are we so concerned about people using a seat belt “every trip, every seat, every time!”? One of the ways is by distributing these signs all over the county. You’ll see them at hospitals, clinics, schools, community centers and large employers. Let us know if you have an idea for a new place to put this sign!
