U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta Announces Grants to Increase Seat Belt Use

Topics:  Norman Y. Mineta

NHTSA
October 15, 2001

NHTSA 53-01
Monday, October 15, 2001
Contact: Tim Hurd
Tel. No.: (202) 366-9550

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced that 36 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will share $55,076,000 in incentive grants for increasing seat belt use.

"President Bush and I are committed to transportation safety," said Secretary Mineta. "These funds will help support states in their vital efforts to keep highway travel safe by promoting seat belt use."

Fiscal year 2002, which began October 1, is the fourth year that incentive grants have been awarded for increasing seat belt use rates. This year grants were awarded to states that have either obtained a state seat belt usage rate above the national average for 1999 and 2000 or that have achieved a usage rate in 2000 that is higher than the state had in any other year from 1996 through 1999.

The amount of each state grant is based on savings in medical costs to the federal government resulting from increased seat belt use. The award amounts range from $6,000 to $14 million.

Sixteen states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico exceeded the national average use rate in 1999 and 2000. Twenty states qualified by increasing their 2000 seat belt use rate above their highest previous use rate since 1996.

"These states are to be commended for their progress in seat belt use. Seat belts are the most effective way to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in traffic crashes. We estimate that they save more than 11,000 lives in America each year," said Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Funds provided as seat belt use incentive grants support a variety of state programs ranging from encouraging seat belt use and special traffic enforcement programs to highway construction activities. In Fiscal Year 2001, more than 90 percent of the money was used for highway safety programs.

Examples of various activities that have been used in support of a core component of enforcement include:

• expanding participation in the semi-annual national seat belt enforcement mobilizations;
• implementing efforts to train, motivate, and recognize law enforcement officers for participation in the program;
• mounting a highly visible program to implement newly enacted legislation that upgrades the state's seat belt or child passenger safety law;
• initiating or expanding public information and education programs designed to complement newly upgraded legislation and/or enhanced enforcement efforts;
• strengthening public information efforts by adding a paid advertising component to support news and public service media efforts;
• adopting a more focused message that brings attention to the ongoing enforcement effort, such as a "Click It or Ticket" campaign message; and
• establishing new partnerships and coalitions to support ongoing implementation of legislation or enforcement efforts such as health care and medical groups, partnerships with diverse groups, businesses and employers.

The following table lists the states receiving grants and their grant amounts. The states that exceeded the national average use rate in both 1999 and 2000 are marked with an asterisk.

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