The "Click It or Ticket Campaign for 2012" continues to target a 24 hours-a-day, around-the-clock prevention education and enforcement message. This multi-agency approach has two goals—to save lives and to improve the safe driving practices of all Marylanders. We are requesting your department's help to get out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) campaign "Click it Or Ticket - Day and Night."
As part of the Maryland "Choose Safety for Life Campaign" and the National "Culture of Safety" campaign, we are asking every EMS and Fire company to emphasize Occupant Protection from November 12 – 26, 2012, as holiday travel will see high traffic volumes. Many companies have Buckle Up banners from MIEMSS (pictured below) and we are asking that they be displayed for this two-week period or longer into the December holidays. For those that have electronic signs, please display the following message:
"Buckle Up Maryland – Day & Night. It is the Law"
Wearing a seatbelt is the single most effective way to save your life and the lives of your loved ones while on the road this Thanksgiving holiday. According to NHTSA, seat belts saved more than 12,500 lives nationwide in 2010 alone. Nighttime hours are the most dangerous. In 2010 nationally, 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes overnight were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 42 percent during the daytime hours. In addition, to ensure the safe driving practices of all our emergency services providers, we encourage you to distribute this message to everyone in your department in the continued effort to Buckle Up every ride, every time.
Forward information about the status of your department's pledge and any pictures from your outdoor signs to MIEMSS Media at jbrown@miemss.org
Thank you for joining this important public safety campaign. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season.
