ODOT Launches Seat Belt Campaign

Oklahoma is ranked among the worst nationally in seat belt usage, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is seeking improvement.

In 2021, ODOT is embarking on a road safety educational campaign with seat belt usage as the central theme.

Terri Angier, ODOT Chief of Media and Public Relations, said ODOT is doing everything it can to make drivers safe but needs drivers’ help.

“Engineers constantly are trying to scratch their heads about ‘What else can we do?’ to make the highways safer,” Angier said. “We’re constantly coming up with innovations, with safety features like the cable barrier, like the rumble strips. So, we’re at a point to where we really are doing everything in our power to try and have people not be in harms’ way. So, this campaign is now to give the drivers the tools and the information to keep themselves safe.”

The yearlong theme is “Make Safety Stick: Everybody Click.” In addition to the main theme, ODOT will also have a road safety theme for each month.

January was “Put away distractions,” followed by engineering innovations in February.

Seat belt safety is March’s theme in addition to being the yearlong theme.

More than 400 people die in crashes on Oklahoma highways and interstates each year, and roughly half of those involve people not wearing seat belts, according to ODOT. Out of 36 fatalities this year, 11 were not wearing a seat belt.

Nationally, seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Angier said even if it is just a quick drive down the street, a seat belt could still be lifesaving.

“It’s not what you’re doing, necessarily, it’s what somebody else is doing,” she said. “I could be (doing) all the right things, going down the highway 60 miles an hour, not going fast, not following too close, and someone who loses control could hit you and it could still cause the same problem of you getting ejected or you rolling over. So, it’s not just what you’re doing, it’s being aware of what someone else could do, and if you’re not wearing your seat belt, it could impact you.”

According to ODOT, Oklahoma is ranked No. 43 in the country in seat belt usage. Not only does this make Oklahoma among the lowest in the nation but also in the region. South of the Red River, Texas is No. 20.

New Mexico is No. 18, Colorado is No. 35, Missouri is No. 37 and Louisiana is No. 38. Kansas is No. 42 and Arkansas is No. 45.

“We think we can improve this number,” Angier said. “The other interesting thing is they all are lumped together. So, a 2 percent improvement for us… will be a huge jump from 43 to 30-something or 20-something… We can address a lot of issues on the roadway, we just can’t put (drivers’) seat belts on for them, and that’s where we need their help.”

The monthly themes for the rest of the year are:

• April: Work Zone Safety
• May: Bicycle, Pedestrian Safety
• June: Avoid Driver Errors
• July: Share the Road: Truck, Motorcycle Safety
• August: Hazards of Speeding; School Zone Safety
• September: Perils of Impaired Driving
• October: Seat Belt Safety
• November: Weather Driving Safety Awareness
• December: 12 Days of Driver Etiquette