Injured teen helps launch new seatbelt campaign

AN attention-grabbing bus advertising campaign was launched in Auckland today by the Land Transport Safety Authority and New Zealand Police as part of their continuing efforts to encourage the wearing of seatbelts.

The ads graphically illustrate the effects of not wearing a seatbelt while driving. They feature a spring-loaded image of a person not wearing a seatbelt who crashes forward into the steering wheel of a car each time the bus comes to a stop.

The seatbelt campaign is the first use of 'active advertising' on buses in New Zealand. The ads will appear on buses in seven cities around the country over the next few weeks.

The life and death importance of seatbelts was brought home to those attending the launch by Carterton teenager Daniel Dodd, who says he survived a deadly crash that killed four of his mates for one reason only - because he was wearing his seatbelt.

Daniel wants others to accept the message he's learned through bitter experience - that seatbelts save lives. "I can't bring my friends back, but I can tell you why I survived and they didn't," he said.

Director of Land Transport Safety Reg Barrett said the new ad campaign is part of the ongoing efforts of the LTSA and Police to save lives and prevent injuries by increasing seatbelt-wearing levels on New Zealand roads. Mr Barrett said on average 50 lives were lost on our roads every year because people were unrestrained in crashes.

"The facts are indisputable - wearing a seatbelt is the best way to protect yourself in a crash, wherever the crash occurs and whatever its cause. Proper use of seatbelts and child restraints will reduce the risk of fatal or serious injuries in a crash by 40 per cent.

"Already this year nearly 100 unrestrained people have been killed in crashes on our roads. The Police officers who attended these crashes estimate that at least 40 of these people would be alive today, had they been properly restrained.

"People can find all sorts of excuses for not wearing seatbelts, but none of them hold any water. If you don't wear your seatbelt or secure children in child restraints you are breaking the law and you are putting lives at risk for no good reason," he said.

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