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January 29, 1996
Grant to fund stepped-up seat belt law enforcement
Caddo Parish Sheriff Don Hathaway will put additional patrol units on the roads over the next few days to remind citizens that deputies are enforcing the state's primary safety belt law.
Two or three patrol deputies at a time will work a total of 30 to 40 extra hours during peak traffic times thanks to a grant from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
Law enforcement agencies around the state are reporting that more people are wearing their seat belts. Louisiana's three-month-old "primary" seat belt law requires drivers and front seat passengers to buckle up and allows law officers to stop motorists for seat belt violations. The former statute, referred to as a "secondary" law, permitted enforcement only in conjunction with another traffic offense, such as speeding or running a red light.
Sheriff Hathaway said he is encouraged by the increased number of motorists on parish roadways who are complying with the new law. "I'm very pleased to see so many people buckling up," he said. "I know from personal observation that wearing a seat belt can sometimes mean the difference between live and death in a traffic accident."
The Sheriff also said his office will work with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and the Louisiana Safety Belt Use Coalition to give "Saved by the Belt" awards to Caddo Parish citizens who credit seat belts with saving their lives or reducing injuries in a traffic accident. "To apply for the award," Sheriff Hathaway explained, "send a brief description of how seat belts helped you or someone you care about survive a crash to 'Saved by the Belt,' P.O. Box 65061, Baton Rouge, LA 70896."
January 29, 1996
News Release
Poll finds high awareness of state's new seat belt law
Louisiana's primary seat belt law has been in effect for three months and a recent poll shows a majority of state motorists understand the safety law, agree that seat belts reduce the risk of injury in a crash and believe law enforcement agencies are ticketing motorists who don't buckle up.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office and Louisiana Highway Safety Commission have released results from two recent surveys conducted to gauge the viewpoints of motorists on the state's new primary seat belt law. The first poll surveyed 484 drivers in Louisiana in October 1995 with a follow-up survey conducted in November 1995.
One of the questions asked was, "How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following: You will be hurt less in an accident if you are wearing your seat belt." Of the respondents, 84 percent agreed with the statement, with 62 percent "strongly agreeing."
When asked how often motorists use seat belts when riding or driving in a car, van, utility vehicle or pickup truck, 62 percent said they always wear their seat belts when riding or driving. According to the latest observational survey conducted last July by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, the overall safety belt usage rate is 59 percent with several regions in the state showing belt usage at about 75 percent.
Safety officials believe belt use has increased over these figures because of the new seat belt law and the public's increased understanding of the importance of buckling up.
Some 91 percent of those surveyed said they realize that under the new law, deputies can now ticket motorists for not wearing a seat belt. More than half of those responding said they believe law enforcement agencies are "strictly enforcing" the new law.
The three-month-old "primary" seat belt law requires drivers and front seat passengers to buckle up and allows law officers to stop motorists for seat belt violations. The former ten-year-old statute, referred to as a "secondary" law, permitted enforcement only in conjunction with another traffic offense, such as speeding or running a red light.