II. MAY 2004 CLICK IT OR TICKET NATIONAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

State and National Click It or Ticket Media Buys Continued in 2004

For the May 2004, Click It or Ticket law enforcement Mobilization, NHTSA devoted $10 million to air its national Click It or Ticket advertisement on broadcast and cable television networks, and network radio programming that reaches 18- to 34-year-old males, as well as Hispanics, and African Americans.

In addition, NHTSA placed media buys totaling $8.6 million on behalf of 17 States that requested technical assistance in this area. These States are: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin. A total of more than $20 million was spent by the States on paid media for the 2004 Mobilization, the bulk of it in television and radio advertising.

Funds to support the use of paid media in the Click It or Ticket program were derived from the Section 157 innovative grant program, and from the Section 402 program. Section 157 was created to encourage States to increase their safety belt use rates in recognition that increased safety belt use decreases crash injuries and the financial burden these preventable injuries place on Federal programs. Nearly $45 million is provided from Section 157 funding to support the Click It or Ticket program each year.

NHTSA also provided technical assistance in arranging local media to support special programs to raise safety belt use among occupants of pickup trucks in Arkansas and New Mexico. Over
$4.2 million in value-added (bonus) media and exposure (including network billboards, liners, live reads, sports tickers, bonus spots and program upgrades) was received in support of the Click It or Ticket campaign.