Ohio Launches “Hard Hitter” Campaign to Boost Seat Belt Use

Ohio officials have launched a new seat belt safety campaign highlighting the serious risks unbuckled passengers pose to others in a crash.

The “Hard Hitter” campaign, announced Monday by Gov. Mike DeWine uses football-themed imagery to show the force of an unrestrained occupant during a crash. A person not wearing a seat belt in a 50-mph crash can strike others with eight times the force of a 240-pound linebacker.

“Wearing a seat belt can mean the difference between life and death,” said Andy Wilson, Department of Public Safety director, in a statement. “Unbuckled fatalities are preventable.”

The campaign stems from recommendations by the Ohio Safety Belt Task Force, which reported in May that backseat passengers and local travelers are less likely to buckle up. Ohio’s seat belt usage rate last year was 85.2%, below the national average of 91.2%.

More than 60% of Ohio’s traffic fatalities over the past five years involved unbelted occupants, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The campaign encourages drivers and passengers to visit www.buckleup.ohio.gov for resources. It follows OTSO’s “Buckle Up with Brutus” elementary school initiative, which has reached more than 6,500 students.

“When you decide not to wear a seat belt, you're risking everyone’s life in the vehicle,” DeWine said. “We want people to think twice.”

Source: Ohio Department of Transportation, WDTN.com