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Albany, NY - June 15, 2001 - Superintendent James W. McMahon today announced that the Buckle Up New York Campaign has successfully reduced the number of deaths on New York's highways to record low levels. Since first initiated in May 1999, seat belt use in New York State has risen from 74.2 percent of motorists to 88.3 percent. As a result, 141 fewer lives were lost on New York highways in 2000, than were lost the previous year.
"We know seat belts work and were very pleased when we saw the figures," said McMahon. "In 1999, NHTSA estimated we would save 148 lives if we could get belt use to 85 percent statewide. They were not too far off."
"Law enforcement officers across New York State have proven that buckling up is the simplest way to save lives," said Thomas Louizou, NHTSA Region II Administrator. "They have demonstrated tremendous dedication and resolve in preventing these needless deaths, and they have set an example for the nation to follow."
The Buckle Up New York Campaign united law enforcement agencies statewide in zero tolerance enforcement of the state's mandatory seat belt laws. Since 1999, more than 400 police agencies across the state have participated in ten-day long enforcement waves in May, September and November. Seat belt use was measured in every county before and after each enforcement wave. The seventh wave of the campaign was conducted May 19 - 28, 2001. Seat belt use was measured at 83 percent prior to the enforcement campaign and 88.3 percent after. In the most recent wave, 47,725 tickets were issued for safety restraint violations, 1,572 of which were for failure to properly buckle up a child in an appropriate child restraint.
Governor George E. Pataki recently announced that the year 2000 was the safest ever on New York's highways, dating back to the 1920s, when the state first began keeping such records. In 2000, 1,444 deaths occurred compared with 1,585 in 1999, nearly a 9 percent decline. The highway fatality rate was also a record low 1.15 deaths per 100 million miles of travel, down from 1.25 the previous year, and significantly below the 1.60 national average. In addition, 6,234 fewer motor vehicle injuries were reported to police in 2000 than the year before. Authorities noted that the year 2000 records are particularly dramatic given the ever rising number of miles of travel, and they credit the Buckle Up New York Campaign with improving safety statewide.
"We are proud of this accomplishment because it means that untold numbers of families have been saved the grief which results from debilitating injuries or from losing a loved one," said McMahon. "The Buckle Up New York effort is community policing at its best, and I commend the thousands of police officers, deputies and troopers across the state for improving the quality of life in the communities they serve."