A study reported in the May 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that nearly two out of three children who are killed in alcohol-related crashes are passengers riding with an impaired driver. And in the majority of these cases, the children were riding with a drinking adult—a parent, guardian or temporary caregiver —who did not have the presence of mind to buckle them up. According to the study, the more alcohol the driver consumed, the less likely the child was to be buckled up. This deadly mixture puts kids at risk.

This Thanksgiving week (November 20-26, 2000) – as part of the Buckle Up America campaign and the Operation ABC Mobilization: America Buckles Up Children – over 8,000 law enforcement agencies across America are mobilizing to protect children from two of the leading risks they face: being unbuckled in a car crash and being involved in a crash with drinking drivers, inside or outside their vehicle.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is teaming up with the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board to support the Mobilization this November.

During the week of the Mobilization, police agencies nationwide will step up enforcement through a range of activities designed to protect kids such as intensive enforcement, checkpoints, increased patrols and saturation patrols.

Help spread the word that this intensive enforcement effort is happening.

As a safety advocate, you can assist local law enforcement in their efforts to keep kids safe by using this action kit to communicate with the public, your members or employees to make sure they are aware that this stepped-up enforcement effort is taking place.

And the surprising findings from the research that link impaired drivers with unbuckled kids gives you a compelling new angle to interest your local media.