Seat belts the focus of new campaign

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — State officials have announced the launch of a new traffic safety campaign to raise awareness about how vehicle occupants who fail to buckle up threaten the safety of others traveling with them.

The new “Hard Hitter” seatbelt campaign uses football imagery to illustrate the physical impact of an unbuckled vehicle occupant on another passenger during a traffic accident. A crash at speeds of 50 miles per hour has the potential to hurl an unrestrained occupant with eight times the force of a 240-pound linebacker running at full speed. 

According to data from DPS’s Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), seat belt usage in Ohio has remained below the national average for more than a decade.

• In 2024, the state’s seat belt compliance rate was 85.2 percent, below the national average of 91.2 percent.
• Last year, 64 percent of people killed in Ohio traffic crashes were not wearing a seatbelt when one was available – marking the fifth consecutive year that this rate was over 60 percent.

“Whether you’re behind the wheel or in the back seat, wearing a seat belt can mean the difference between life and death,” said Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “Unbuckled fatalities in Ohio are not just tragic, they’re preventable. Wearing a seat belt every time you are in a vehicle is an easy choice that saves lives.”

The development of a seat belt awareness campaign was recommended by the Ohio Safety Belt Task Force, which released a full report on seat belt use in Ohio in May 2024. Task force members found that seat belt usage is higher in the front seats and while traveling on highways. Ohioans are less likely to buckle up in the back seat of a motor vehicle, when traveling locally, or when traveling as a passenger in a taxi or rideshare.

“We know a majority of people in Ohio understand the importance of wearing a seat belt, but far too many are still choosing to ride unprotected,” said Emily Davidson, OTSO director. “This new campaign is calling on everyone to wear their seat belt in every seat, on every trip.”

OTSO previously launched an elementary school seat belt program called “Buckle Up with Brutus,” which was introduced ahead of the 2024-2025 school year. The curriculum, which was designed by OTSO, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and The Ohio State University, aims to educate second and third-grade students about the importance of wearing a seat belt and using a booster seat. Since its launch, school resource officers have delivered the “Buckle Up with Brutus” lessons to more than 6,500 Ohio students.