Ohio's overall 2003 safety belt usage rate is 74.7% which is up from the 2002 usage rate of 70.3%. Retired officers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol made observations at 257 sites in 53 of Ohio's 88 counties. The observations included 23,472 occupants (18,570 drivers and 4,902 passengers) of commercial and non-commercial passenger cars, vans, minivans, sport utility vehicles (SUV), and pickup trucks. Additional findings include the following:

• The usage rate of pickup trucks (65%) is significantly lower then that of passenger cars (76%), minivans (77%), and SUVs (78%).
• The Northwest region of the state has the highest usage rate (83%), while the Northeast region has the lowest (72%).
• The usage rate for drivers (75%) was higher than that of passengers (70%).
• Female occupants have a higher rate of safety belt usage (79%) than male occupants (71%).
• For drivers, there appears to be a steady increase in safety belt usage as age increases. When passenger data are examined, it appears that usage is lowest for the occupants ages 5-14 and only somewhat higher for the 15-25 occupants. Thereafter usage rates increase significantly by age.

The What's Holding You Back? Campaign has been implemented and used to increase safety belt usage in Ohio for a few years now. The following increases have been seen since the campaign's inception:

• Usage rate in all regions of the state have increased since 2000. The Northeast region has increased from 61% in 2000 to 73% in 2003.
• Usage rates for all vehicles types have increased. Most notably, the usage rates of occupants of pickup trucks have increased by approximately 15% since 2000.
• Usage rates for drivers and passengers have increased.
• Male safety usage has increased from 55% in 2000 to nearly 71% in 2003.
• Between 2000 and 2003, usage rates for the following age groups increased: from 54% to nearly 69% for ages 15-25; from 66% to about 76% for ages 26-64; from 71% to 80% for ages 65 and older.

The 2003 survey has identified the following populations that warrant special attention because of their lower rates of safety belt usage. To increase overall safety belt usage in Ohio, an increase in compliance must occur among these populations. Hence, programming promoting safety belt usage should be directed at the following populations:

• Northeast and Central Ohio regions
• Pickup truck drivers and passengers
• Male drivers and passengers
• Vehicle occupants ages 5-15 and drivers and passengers ages 15-25

From local observation by MSC, Mahoning County's usage rate is approximately 60%. As you can see from the graph below. There has been a gradual increase of usage over the years.

Mahoning County
Observational Seat Belt Survey Results

The Mahoning Safe Communities Coalition was been working to make the seat belt numbers in Mahoning County better. Efforts are being made to increase seat belt usage in the city of Youngstown and also with teen drivers. The coalition has been promoting the What Holding You Back? Campaign of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. The campaign utilizes radio, television, billboards, buses, banners, and yards signs to get the message out that if you choose not to buckle up, the answer to "What holding you back?"is simply, nothing. Mahoning County law enforcement plays a critical role in the success of this campaign by stepping up enforcement and writing citations (not warning) for those who chose to violate Ohio's child passenger and seat belt law.

Any artwork or ads are available to download by going to the Governor's Highway Safety Office's website at http://www.state.oh.us/odps/oghsr/default.html. Banners and yards signs are available by contacting Mahoning Safe Communities at (330)270-2855 extension 132.

Mahoning Safe Communities has been working closely with the county schools to increase seat belt use with the teen population. The high school seat belt campaign has taken place for three years in a row and will continue with the 2003-2004 school year. The campaign uses peer education to increase awareness on the importance of seat belt use and has been successful with raising belt use among the teen population. With the start of the campaign in the winter of 2001, belt use was at 46.8%. At the completion of the campaign in the spring of 2003, belt use increased to nearly 70%. In 2003, the school with the highest percentage of usage at the end of the campaign was South Range High School. South Range ended the campaign with teen belt use at 94.4%. Springfield and North Jackson High Schools also won awards for the largest increases through out the course of the campaign. Their usage was 83.7% and 90.1% respectively. Notably a fourth school had seat belt usage over 80% and that was Cardinal Mooney High School at 85.3%.

There is no more effective safety device than a seat belt or child safety seat. It makes the difference between life and death in a serious crash. Little by little our numbers in Mahoning County are increasing and lives are being saved. Wearing a safety belt and insisting that those who travel with you to buckle up are the easiest things that you can do to protect yourself, your friends, and you family. Beg, please, even get mad. Do whatever it takes to change the deadly bad habit of not buckling every trip, every time. If you don't "What's Holding you back?".