Goals

• To provide public information and education about safety belt use and the Click It Or Ticket enforcement effort via media and local retailers.
• To reach males ages 18 to 34 years.
• To coincide with Minnesota’s opening fishing season.
• To reach a record high safety belt rate in Cass County.

Strategies

Because data shows that males age 18 to 34 have low safety belt usage rates, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) safety belt mobilization was on the horizon, the Red River Valley Safe Communities Coalition decided to do something to boost that demographics’ usage rate. Members came up with a new and innovative idea to try to reach 18 to 34 year old males and take advantage of media dollars spent by NHTSA.

The project was created to tie in with Minnesota’s fishing season opener, which is a very popular event for the target audience. A “Bait & Belts” press conference was held to kick off the campaign. Law enforcement from 13 agencies attended and spoke, as well as coalition members and retail partners. A rollover simulator demonstration was given for the media at the press conference. A live radio remote, utilizing a station that reaches the targeted demographic, was held in the parking lot of Wal-mart. Buckled anglers on the way to the lake could stop by for “Mimic Minnows” and a rollover simulator demonstration. “Mimic Minnows” are packages artificial fish bait, upon which the coalition affixed a “Click It Or Ticket” message to the back of each package. Wal-mart, Scheels All Sports, and Sportsman’s Warehouse had safety belt pledge booths. Pledges were entered into prize drawings for fishing gear. Law enforcement officers also distributed safety belt pledges that could be taken to the participating retailers and entered in the drawings.

Results

• 2006 safety belt rates for Cass County show an impressive 2.4 percentage point increase (82.7% to 85.1%) from 2005 to 2006.
• Male pickup occupants are buckling up 71.9% of the time, compared to the statewide average of 64.6%. This is up from Cass County’s rate of 70.2% in 2005.
• Plans are already being made for Bait & Belts in 2007.