"Heaven Can Wait" Campaign kicks off May 1 and runs through May 31, 2004

Currently our usage rate is around 60% with our state usage rate is at 63.7%. We have a lot of work to do to get our usage rates up. We are asking for your help. Get in the habit of wearing your seat belt every time you ride in a motor vehicle. If you are a parent, please make sure your child is buckled up in a seat belt, car or booster seat.

A team of local volunteers will kick off a project to educate area residents on the importance of seat belt usage on May 1. The kick off event will be held May 7th and May 8th, in conjunction with Summer Safety Day and Dickinson Park & Recreation summer activity registration held May 7 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. and May 8 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. The theme for this years campaign will again be the "Heaven Can Wait", Buckle Up.

Locally, the project is being conducted by a Community Partner Team that comprises six representatives from the health, law enforcement, business, education, religious and community-at-large sectors within our community who will work together in this effort. "We wanted Southwestern North Dakota to be part of this project because we realized that our communities have a potential health care problem due to low usage of seat belts and other safety restraints by area residents," Becky Byzewski, Regional Safe Communities/Prevention Coordinator said." "This campaign based on education and other events along with strong law enforcement of state occupant safety laws is planned to increase the usage of vehicle occupant safety devices to reduce the number of injuries and deaths occurring in our community that are due to not using or improper use of safety restraint devices."

The campaign, which kicks off on May 1 and continues May 31, will feature events and educational projects throughout the region. Call Becky at 227-0131 Community Action Partnership if you would like to be a part of this campaign.

The Dickinson Partners for Rural Traffic Safety Partner Team, which is spearheading the project includes Joy Hayden, Southwest District Health Unit, representing the health care community segment; Eldon Mehrer, North Dakota Highway Patrol, representing the law enforcement segment; Todd Otto, State Farm Insurance, representing local business; Terry Glasser, Dickinson Public Schools, representing education; Scott McKirdy, United Methodist Church, representing the places of worship community, Deb Nelson, representing the community resident, and Amy Giessinger, representing the media sector.