CHICAGO, May 15 (UPI) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 48 million U.S. motorists don't use seat belts regularly even though thousands of lives could be saved.
A state-by-state NHTSA study released Monday to coincide with the annual "Click it or Ticket" crackdown on violators over the Memorial Day period found about 18 percent of drivers ignore mandatory seat belt laws. Ads aimed at the unbelted motorists will air nationwide May 22-June 4 in a $31 million bilingual campaign in English and Spanish.
The target audience is drivers 18-34 years old. The study found males who live in rural areas and drive pickups were most likely not to use their seat belts.
"It's an undisputable fact that safety belts help save lives," said Acting NHTSA Administrator Jacqueline Glassman. "Still millions of Americans aren't buckling up every time they are in a motor vehicle. The crackdown is about preventing tragedies through awareness, strong laws and highly visible enforcement of those laws."
