Local Heroes

Plus

Occupant Protection Priority

05. 22. 2019

AGENDA

Why OP

enforcement is

important

Data and

background

The “new” focus

The results

1

2

3

4

5 The ASK

Why enforce seat

belt and child seat

laws?

It effects ALL other

program areas and

reduces fatalities and

injuries

Unbelted fatalities are

near 50%

(over 50% the last 5

years in VA)

Impaired driving

accounts for 29% of

all fatalities

Drug impaired

increasing

Speed is a factor in

26% of all fatalities

and may be under

reported

Highway Safety Issues – VA and Nationally

Seat belt use

below the

national

average

Seat belt

enforcement

declining/fatalities

are rising

Public

perception of

getting a ticket

is low

#

Region 3 Unrestrained Fatalities

R3 Grant Funded OP Citations

Pop Quiz!

Name the 1 sport in which the

spectators nor the participants know the

score or the leader until the contest

ends?

If you continue to do the same thing,

you will receive the same results

(or worse)

A

New Approach

#

HEROES Everyone has them

#

Local HEROES

How it began

• NHTSA challenged Kentucky to raise seat belt usage rate to 90 percent (86.8 percent in 2017)

• Introduced us to Enrollment Centered Approach to Media Marketing (ECAMM) developed by Cardinal Media, Inc.

• ECAMM had been utilized by other state safety offices campaigns and resulted in increased usage rates

Taking it to the next level

• Named it “Local Heroes”

• Created radio, print, social media and television PSAs specific to each county

• Utilized one representative from state, city and county agencies

• Moved away from the strict law enforcement message (but still an enforcement message)• Presented actual traffic officers (no

command staff) as those who care about their community

• Counties selected based on crash data

• Statewide Version

• Eastern KY Regional Version

• 25 distinct counties

Local Heroes Program

- Community-centered, multimedia

initiative

- Officers who participate in the

program are much more likely to

wear their seat belt!

• Local Heroes Results

• 84.6% of Officers “increased OP Enforcement at agency”

• KY’s observed seat belt usage rate rose from 86.8 percent in 2017 to 89.9 percent in 2018!

• And they had fun too

KOHS YouTube Channel

• Drone footage, county-specific landmarks

#

Facts & Figures

Region 3: Past 5 years

17

So what do we do with this new information?

If participating

agencies did. . .

Seat

BeltTicket

5

Today’s

“Asks”:

Can you make Occupant

Protection a priority in all

enforcement efforts?1

2

3

What do you need from

Region 3 or the HSO to

make these things

happen?

20

How can we prevent

October from being

such a deadly month in

R3?

Can you do

“Just 1 more”?

4

Can you implement and

participate in

Local Heroes?

Occupant Protection:

Priority OneWilliam Naff

NHTSA Region 3

410-962-0002

Bill.naff@dot.gov

May 22, 2019