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Gathering Place
David H.Rolf |
Hawaii can learn from
success of seat-belt lawTwenty years ago Hawaii legislators believed high seat-belt usage would save 70 lives a year; today it nearly has.
A Wisconsin auto dealer trade association executive phoned Hawaii dealers recently to inquire why our state had been so successful in creating high seat-belt usage. Hawaii was first in the nation to reach 95 percent compliance, according to a State Department of Transportation announcement following the "Click It or Ticket" campaign.
Primary seat-belt laws, like Hawaii's, allow drivers to be stopped solely because they are not wearing safety belts. Wisconsin, without a primary seat-belt law, had compliance only in the 70 percent range, said Don Hansen, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Mega Milwaukee.
"How did Hawaii get such high compliance?" Hansen asked.
It wasn't hard to learn whom to thank for all the lives saved by Hawaii's tough seat-belt law. I went to the state archives yesterday and obtained the seat-belt bill introduced in 1984 (and passed the following year) that established Hawaii as one of the first states to set a stiff fine for violators.
The year before, Hawaii had experienced 140 traffic deaths on the state's highways. Department of Health testimony before the transportation committee, chaired by then-Sen. Benjamin Cayetano, stated that 100 percent seat-belt usage would result in at least a 50 percent reduction in fatalities, saving 70 lives. The archives records showed that the seat-belt bill, HB 89, sponsored by then-Rep. Brian Taniguchi, received strong supporting testimony from nonprofit associations like the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, the Hawaii Highway Users Federation, the Hawaii Epilepsy Foundation and the Hawaii Child Transportation Safety Coalition.
Recently, with seat-belt compliance at an all-time high, the state Department of Transportation reported that the number of lives lost in car crashes has dropped to 85 for the year 2003, some 55 fewer than in 1983. Of course, new technologies developed by automakers, including air bags, have played a role, but there's no question that high seat-belt usage has been key to saving lives. Today, according to DOT, there is a fine of $77 for noncompliance.
Analysis of the history of the Hawaii seat-belt law led me to summarize for the Wisconsin dealers four things needed if they were to model Hawaii's success.
A state needs:
>> A primary seat-belt law.It's apparent, by the way, that the "Click It or Ticket" phrase expresses the campaign idea more clearly and effectively than the old "Buckle Up, Hawaii" campaign.
>> All branches of government -- federal, state and local -- working with trade associations and individuals.
>> Effective communication, like the federally-funded "Click It or Ticket" campaign.
>> Vigorous enforcement of the law.So, to Wisconsin I answered, you need a clear law with a penalty, everyone working together, effective communication to the public through cooperation with the media, and vigorous enforcement.
The larger lesson to be learned for us in Hawaii, however, is: How can we use this successful model to address other issues?
David H. Rolf is executive director of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association.