Kentucky State Police are using a college football rivalry to emphasize the importance of seat belt usage. Law enforcement officers have been counting seat belt wearing fans in cars at UK’s Kroger Field parking lot and U of L’s Papa John’s Stadium.
Public Affairs Commander Josh Lawson says one driver who came through the Lexington site today said she had been involved recently in a significant car crash. “All the airbags deployed and she is certain that the seatbelt is what saved her life that day and we appreciate that and she said that today is just a reminder to her, even though personally it saved her life, that how important it is and she’ll never forget that,” explained Lawson.
Lawson admits lasting safety behavior can be hard to instill once a focused campaign runs its course. “When we move on to the next issue, we will find that previously what we just left, what we just finished talking about whether it’s drunk driving or seatbelts, will begin to be on the rise again, those incidents again. It’s imperative to us that we never falter, never forget all of these aspects of safe driving,” noted Lawson.
Lawson says fans of both college teams were also asked to submit photos of belted motorists and passengers to participate in the friendly competition via social media.
