Wednesday, August 11, 1999
Sweet rewards for buckling up
Butler deputies dish ice cream coupons
BY JANICE MORSE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Between hot pursuits of bad guys, Butler County sheriff's deputies will give away cool treats — coupons for free ice cream cones — to citizens caught obeying the Ohio seat belt law.
For two weeks beginning Monday, deputies will hand out 1,000 coupons for free ice cream, donated by United Dairy Farmers. Each safety-conscious motorist or passenger also will receive a sheriff's key chain.“I thought, using seat belts is a habit, and maybe if we reward people for doing that, they'd get into the habit,” said Sgt. Marian Olivas, sheriff's crime prevention officer.
The coupons, to be distributed during officers' regular patrols at stopping points such as service stations and convenience stores, are being offered to encourage seat belt use in Butler County, where noncompliance is higher than the state and national averages. Last year, officials estimated Butler County's compliance rate was 58.9 percent — lower than the state average of 63 percent and national average of 69 percent, according to figures from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Also among 26 Ohio counties with noncompliance problems: Clermont, 58.6 percent compliance, and Hamilton, 62.4 percent.
The program comes at a time when Ohio Gov. Bob Taft is pushing for stronger seat belt laws. Under current law, motorists must commit some other violation before an officer may cite them for lack of a seat belt. Mr. Taft has said he would like to see the law changed so officers may cite motorists solely for not wearing seat belts.
Sgt. Olivas said the county's fatal crash statistics showed a startling lack of seat belt use. Among 19 fatalities deputies investigated, 17 of the victims were traveling in vehicles equipped with seat belts, but 14 of them — 82 percent — didn't use them.
“It makes me sad, but it also makes me angry,” Sgt. Olivas said.
The sheriff's office, which paid $1,000 for the key chains, says it would like to get more corporate sponsors for the program — dubbed “Buckle Up, Butler County!”
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