May 12, 2008

It will be difficult for Michigan motorists to go anywhere during the next couple of weeks without seeing "signs" of the Buckle Up or Pay Up: Click It or Ticket statewide safety belt mobilization.

A two-week advertising blitz starts today and warns motorists of increased enforcement. And, once advertising begins, safety belt enforcement zones are not far behind. The federally funded initiative forewarns of the annual Memorial Day safety belt enforcement effort, which begins May 19 and runs through June 1.

The advertisements, geared toward young men ages 18-34, include traditional television, radio and cable spots across the state. But new for this year, Michigan is employing movie theater advertising as well as in-stadium ads at Comerica Park in Detroit and projection advertising to reach this group. Projection advertising will display "larger-than-life" messages about the enforcement effort at night on the sides of buildings in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties during two weekends.

"In Michigan, while daytime safety belt use is at 94 percent, over the past five years 457 young men 18-34 were killed and 1,747 were seriously injured in crashes while unrestrained," said Michel L. Prince, OHSP director. "Nighttime belt use is a particular problem for this age group. It is for this reason that law enforcement will be on the roads day and night, strictly enforcing the state's safety belt law."

While overall safety belt use is above 90 percent, use among 16- to 29-year-old males falls to 87.3 percent, according to a fall 2007 direct observation survey conducted by the Wayne State University Transportation Research Group. In 2007, nearly half of men ages 18-34 who were killed in crashes were not restrained.

The advertising buy is being supported through federal traffic safety dollars. No state or general fund monies are being used.