Operation ABC ’98
During Memorial Day week, over 4,000 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Territories unified in support of Operation ABC ’98. The goal of Operation ABC ’98 was to spread the message that motorists will be stopped and ticketed if children in their cars are not buckled up. As a result of this unified effort, more Americans than ever received the message to buckle up children.

The media’s response to Operation ABC ’98, the largest coordinated effort by law enforcement to protect children in America’s history, was overwhelming. Preliminary reports show there were over 22 national television stories, along with 400 local television stories and more than 1,500 articles printed. The consistent message throughout these stories was that traffic crashes continue to be the leading cause of death to children, and therefore, law enforcement agencies nationwide are “cracking down” on drivers who fail to buckle up children.

The most encouraging outcome of Operation ABC ’98 was its impact on fatalities. The National Safety Council reports that traffic deaths during the Memorial Day holiday appear to have decreased 34 percent compared to last year.

The successful Operation ABC ’98 demonstrates the benefits of law enforcement agencies unifying to Buckle Up America! This operation demonstrated that it is not only politically possible to conduct tough enforcement, but that the public strongly supports enforcement that helps protect children. A repeat of this national effort is planned for November 1998.

Buckle Up America!
People report that they have changed their behavior and now wear their seat belts on every trip and always buckle their children in the back seat in a proper child safety seat. But evidence shows that only 69 percent of the public is using seat belts and that 40 percent is still not taking the steps necessary to protect children by buckling them in the back seat.

Public awareness and education can only partially increase seat belt use. Reaching those that are still unbuckled requires a more active approach such as high visibility enforcement of occupant protection laws. Seat belt use in North Carolina rose from 64 percent to 80 percent during the initial months of its high visibility enforcement campaign Click It or Ticket.

Buckle Up America! is a great way to begin a high visibility enforcement program. Thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country are participating in Buckle Up America! High visibility enforcement efforts for Buckle Up America! began in Spring 1998 and will continue until America learns that it is unacceptable to have children unbuckled and that seat belt use is everyone’s responsibility. Following are some examples of activities being conducted by law enforcement agencies and organizations nationwide.

• Formal endorsement of Buckle Up America! efforts by resolution or proclamation

• Placement of articles in agency or association newsletters and magazines about member participation in Buckle Up America!

• Collaboration with other law enforcement agencies on enforcement efforts

• Collaboration with other law enforcement organizations and advocacy groups on Buckle Up America! goals

• Participation in events that call attention to Buckle Up America! goals

• Assuring that all traffic crash reports to news media include information on seat belt and child safety seat use

• Use of Buckle Up America! logo on posters and in magazines and newsletters

• Letters to the editor about the need for enforcement of occupant protection laws

• Sponsoring of technical training for law enforcement in Operation Kids, Traffic Occupant Protection Strategies (TOPS), etc.

• Support for legislation that improves child passenger safety laws and upgrades seat belt laws National law enforcement organizations that have endorsed Buckle Up America! are:

• International Association of Chiefs of Police

• National Sheriffs’ Association

• Operation C.A.R.E.

• International Association of Directors of Law enforcement Standards and Training

• Police Executive Research Forum

• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives

• Fraternal Order of Police

• National Troopers Coalition

• Association of Professional Law Enforcement Emergency Vehicle Response Trainers

If your organization is not listed, contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Law Enforcement Division, NTS-13, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-4295 to become part of this life-saving effort.

Formula for Success
High visibility enforcement programs are successful when they follow the Special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP) model. The model has four parts: high visibility waves, stepped-up enforcement activities, news media, and public education activities.

High Visibility Waves

• Law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions designate several concentrated periods throughout the year to conduct intensive enforcement of seat belt and child passenger safety laws on a statewide or regional basis.

• Observational surveys measuring seat belt and child restraint use are conducted before and after each wave to gauge the effectiveness of the efforts.

Stepped-up Enforcement Activities

• Seat belt checkpoints are patrols at fixed locations where all vehicles are stopped to determine seat belt and child safety seat use.

• Saturation patrols use an increased number of police patrolling a concentrated geographic area or stepped-up patrols in high-traffic areas.

• Fixed patrols place officer patrols at fixed locations, such as intersections or near schools.

News Media

• Reporters cover the enforcement activities happening in their communities, making sure the public clearly understands that law enforcement officers are stopping vehicles with unbuckled occupants. Ideally, stories occur before, during, and after the enforcement events to publicize the activities and the results.

• Local news media, law enforcement, and other participating organizations often create partnerships to promote the enforcement efforts.

Public Education Activities

• Non-law enforcement partners participate with officers at safety checkpoints acknowledging seat belt and child restraint users for adhering to the law and instructing drivers and passengers on how to properly restrain their child passengers.

• Officers and safety advocates distribute educational materials to drivers.

Success Stories
In 1996 Georgia passed a standard enforcement seat belt law and in 1997 law enforcement began conducting Operation Strap ‘N Snap, a high visibility enforcement program based on the sTEP model. Law enforcement officers conduct several enhanced enforcement waves each year including concentrated patrols, intersection observations, and checkpoints. To date, their efforts have resulted in widespread coverage in newspapers and on local television and radio stations. After 2 enforcement waves of the program, seat belt use increased from 60 to 76 percent (based on locally administered observational studies by participating law enforcement agencies). Law enforcement officers issued 86,203 adult seat belt citations and 6,870 child restraint citations.