SAFETY BELT EDUCATION USING VISUAL CRASH IMAGES AND LOW-COST INCENTIVES

Automobile safety belt use among teen-agers remains low despite high c rash morbidity and mortality. This article describes a model of a comm unity-based safely belt promotional program. Ten public high schools, with student club and administrative support, were selected from acros s Mississippi. Safety belt assemblies, which created vivid crash image s, were conducted using police officers, ambulance personnel, people w ith paraplegia, football players, and others. Low-cost incentives were awarded to buckled students over a 10-week period. Implementation of the program resulted in a mean increase of 21% in male safely belt use and 17% in female safely bell use. Concepts used in the program are r eproducible, at minimal cost, by using personnel found in most communi ties.