“I just clicked” – Auckland Transport and Police sending a message about seatbelts

Auckland Transport and the New Zealand Police are working together to reduce the number of lives lost and serious injuries because people are not wearing their seatbelt or buckling their children safely into vehicles.

A new campaign, “I Just Clicked” kicks off today to remind people that seatbelts save lives. AT is using traditional and social media and Police will be stopping drivers and issuing fines for those who break the rules, putting lives at risk.

Auckland Transport’s Manager of Walking, Cycling and Road Safety, Kathryn King says, “It’s a shame that we still need to remind people to do something that most people consider common sense. Ministry of Transport data tells us that regardless of being in the front or the back seat, wearing a seatbelt reduces your chance of serious injury by up to 40 percent if you are involved in a crash.

“It’s even more alarming that there are people who are risking the lives of children they are transporting by not buckling them properly into a car seat, which is designed to save their life. We are doing everything we can to educate people about the importance of buckling up for every single journey. Sadly, statistics show that last year at checkpoints, 62 percent of car seats that were checked had some sort of fault which is far too high.”

Road Policing Manager for Waitemata, Inspector Trevor Beggs says that there have been far too many crashes in recent times that resulted in unnecessary loss of life just because people weren’t properly restrained.

“It’s often men who take the risk not to wear their seatbelts, but these poor choices aren’t being made by just one particular group in our society. This is why we need to get this message out there that wearing seatbelts saves lives. It’s simply a no brainer.

“We know that a large proportion of crashes occur on short trips where drivers may not be wearing their seatbelts. Road users can feel safe on roads they know well, and may become complacent as a result. Just popping out to the diary or doing the school run is still a risk, and we must protect ourselves and our passengers by ensuring seat belts are always worn.

“Every time we travel in a vehicle, our chances of being seriously injured or killed in a crash is greatly reduced if simply put on our seat belt. Police hope that this message will really click for our community as a result of this latest campaign.

“The statistics are alarming for Auckland where between 2012 and 2016 we have had 40 deaths and 130 serious injuries related to people not wearing their seatbelt. The impact on families and the community is massive and we need to see these figures shifting. One of the aims of this campaign, through the creative we are using, is to show people the human side of not doing the right thing.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media