Ten years after adopting catchy slogan, police warn to buckle up
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- When the primary seat belt law went into effect in June of 2002, approximately 82 percent of Washington drivers wore seat belts. Today we celebrate a seat belt use rate of 97.5, marking the seventh consecutive year of more than 95 percent of Washingtonians buckling up.
The medical costs of an unbuckled motorist average $11,000 more per collision than those who buckle up according to data from Harborview Injury Prevention Research Center. After the adoption of the Click it or Ticket project, with the primary seat belt law enforcement, the number of traffic deaths dropped from 658 in 2002 to 455 in 2011 (preliminary data WTSC).
"Ten years ago we hoped that we could make an impact on the number of traffic fatalities if we could increase seat belt use," said Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and University of Washington Associate Professor of Pediatrics. "Now we have one of the highest seat belt use rates in the nation. We have prevented thousands of serious injuries and deaths. Buckling up is the routine."
