II. STEP MODEL DESCRIPTION

The Click It or Ticket sTEP Model and Timeline
A Click It or Ticket (CIOT) program is an occupant protection Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP). The enforcement is fully supported with intensive paid publicity that focuses primarily on enforcement of occupant restraint laws. The model program includes 1) data collection, before, during and immediately after media and enforcement phases; 2) earned and paid publicity announcing strict enforcement; 3) highly visible enforcement each day of the two-week enforcement period; and 4) a media event announcing program results and thanking all the participants in the community (Figure 1).

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Mobilization Publicity
The CIOT model includes both earned and paid media. Safety belt enforcement messages are repeated during the publicity period. Messages specifically stay focused on enforcement continuing to remind motorists to buckle up or receive a ticket, in other words, Click It or Ticket.

Earned Media
Earned media is coverage by broadcast and published news services. Earned media generally begins one-week before paid media, two weeks before enforcement, and continues throughout other phases of the program. An earned media event, like a press conference and press release, typically is used to announce the ensuing enforcement program. Additional events continue to bring news coverage to the ongoing enforcement effort. Press releases can be used to update the public on the latest program details.

Paid Media
CIOT paid advertisement campaigns usually last two weeks. During this period, television and radio advertisements air extensively. Paid advertisements are placed strategically at times and places intended to maximize exposure to selected audiences. Typically, both radio and television advertisements are timed to air at pre-selected times that maximize exposure. Paying for advertisement placement is necessary to reach the largest audience and specific low belt use target groups. Within a short time frame, radio advertisements, timed to run during drive times, attempt to reach motorists when they most likely are in their vehicles. Television advertisements are run at times when the most viewers are watching. Additionally, some of the television and radio airtime is strategically placed to reach low belt use groups such as youth, pickup truck occupants, and rural populations on the shows they favor.

Mobilization Enforcement
CIOT enforcement campaigns usually last two weeks. During this period, zero-tolerance enforcement focusing on safety belt violations is carried out statewide. Ideally, traffic enforcement stays focused on safety belt violations above all other traffic violations. Making safety belt use the principal focus for enforcement may be easier in locations with safety belt laws allowing for standard enforcement. That is, compared to locations with secondary laws (where a driver must be stopped for some other violation before a citation for non-use can be issued). But focusing on safety belts is possible in both legal environments. Various enforcement techniques used during the period of enforcement may include, checkpoints, saturation patrols and routine patrols. Checkpoints are ideal because of their high visibility. Whatever enforcement tactics are used, keeping traffic enforcement visibly present for the entire enforcement period is a central component of CIOT.

Concluding Media Event
Weeks after ending CIOT publicity and enforcement, a concluding media event is used to publicize results. Program results and recognition of contributions from the community are supplied to the media for public exposure.

Evaluation Description
CIOT programs are evaluated in a number of ways. Observed safety belt use and motorists’ attitudes and knowledge of police activity are tracked. Data are collected week-by-week; before, during and at the height of the enforcement effort and just after the conclusion of special enforcement and media activities. Evaluation methods are explained in more detail in the next chapter.

May 2003 National Mobilization
During spring 2003, all 50 states conducted safety belt enforcement activity, however, 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received section 157 Innovative grants to conduct sTEP programs for the May 2003 National Mobilization.

Regional leadership was crucial to planning and implementing necessary elements to ensure successful campaigns. Although campaign publicity and enforcement lasted over a four-week period, organizing the campaign took months. During that time, enforcement support had to be garnered and a publicity and enforcement plan needed structuring, along with an evaluation plan. The Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign was instrumental in coordinating enforcement agencies’ participation nationally.

Implementation of campaign publicity and enforcement lasted four weeks, in most states. During that period, states typically followed a similar schedule for conducting the enforcement and publicity campaign. Operating jointly in a National campaign conveyed a unified enforcement presence and strengthened the message.

Earned Media Activity Description
In most states, the formula for earned media was the same. Earned media typically started two weeks before the enforcement effort, usually with a flurry of kick-off press events, featuring newsworthy spokespersons at all levels of government and law enforcement, as well as representatives of health and highway safety advocacy groups. Press releases were distributed to local print news before, sometimes during, and after the enforcement campaign to raise awareness. Additional actions continued to bring news coverage to the ongoing enforcement effort. Earned media efforts were sustained on an almost daily basis through the end of the campaign. These events were intended to attract public attention to the overall program intent, show statewide support for the campaign and announce how and when the campaign would occur.

There were more than 1,000 local television news stories about the mobilization and about the national advertisement. There was national coverage on ABC, CNN, and Fox news. Radio coverage reached nearly 22 million impressions. A NHTSA, NSC, ACTS radio media tour was aired on 6,428 stations for a total of 10,251 times. Another 7,142 stations used the audio news release for over 34 million impressions. Placements on Spanish language radio received a 99 percent placement rate with 99 out of 100 stations and networks picking up the feed. The national advertisement was the story.

Articles, editorials, and columns appeared in nearly 100 publications. There were articles about Click It or Ticket in eight of the top 10 markets in the country. National wire stories ran on Associated Press, Reuters Health, and Scripps Howard.

National Click It Or Ticket Advertisements
NHTSA’s Office of Communications and Consumer Information and a public relations firm coordinated the development and production of 30-second national television and radio scripts, designing the national media plan, and implementing the national media buy. NHTSA’s production costs were $400,000, which came out of the section 157 funds. The advertisements targeted men aged 18 to 34. Additional media planning and buying assistance were given to the states to support state campaigns at a cost of $600,000 from section 403 funds.

The national television shot showed four different cars driving in a variety of locations (mountains, small towns, urban center and near a beach) and officers in a variety of uniforms approaching the cars, with sirens and lights. The intent was to capture a variety of American locations. The narrative announced “From coast to coast…..starting May 19th….if you don’t click it…..expect a ticket. Cops write tickets because seat belts save lives. So click it….or ticket.” The voice over was accompanied by graphics of drivers reacting to getting a ticket, four drivers putting on their seat belts, footage of crash test dummies (one belted, one unbelted). The last graphic showed the Click It or Ticket logo and sponsoring identification of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The television video was produced in Spanish: “De costa a costa….empezando el 19 de mayo….si no se abrocha el cinturón…le darán una multa. La policía impone multas porque los cinturones de seguridad salvan vidas. Así qu abrochado…o multado.”

A 30-second national radio advertisement used the voice of a 20s male with music throughout: “All right, everybody knows “seat belts save lives,” I mean we’ve been hearing that for years – I’m just tellin’ ya your seat belt can save your money and a whole lot of hassle too. Because from coast to coast, cops are cracking down. They have this whole…campaign—“Click It or Ticket.” Pretty simple, you buckle up…or you pay up. Consider this a friendly warning, because cops won’t be giving warnings. Remember, Click It…or Ticket. DISCLAIMER: Paid for the by U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.” The Spanish version played latin music throughout: “Bien, todos saben que “los cinturones de seguridad salvan vidas”. Yo solo les digo que el cinturón de seguridad puede ahórrales dinero y un montón de problemas también. La policía tiene una campaña – “Abrochado o Multado”. Es super sencillo, se abrochan el cinturón o pagan la multa. Consideren esto una advertencia amigable, porque la policía no va a estar dando advertencies. Recuerden, Abrochado o Multado. DISCLAIMER: Patrocinado por el Departamento de Transporte.”

National Paid Media Placement
The national buy was $8 million; almost $4 million went to broadcast TV, $2.5 million to cable TV, and about $1.5 million to radio stations. Purchased airtime was the two weeks from May 12th through May 26th, which occurred during the May sweeps. Television network programming was bought on shows that men 18 to 34, including African American and Hispanic men, were watching. These include NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600, American Idol, Cops, Mr. Personality, Fear Factor, Dog Eat Dog, Law & Order SVU, Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, Last Call with Carson Daly, Tonight Show, Everwood, Smallville, Jamie Kennedy, WB Movie of the Week, Charmed, Black Sash, WWF Smackdown, Buffy Vampire, Twilight Zone, Platinum, Enterprise, UPN Move, Sportscenter, NHL Conference Playoffs, NBA, Major League Baseball, Auto Racing Weekend, Pardon the Interruption, MAAD Sports, Black Star Cinema, Comic View, Way We Do It, BET News, Top 25 Countdown, Real TV, Late Nite, Car & Driver, Prime Trucks, Horsepower TV, WWF, Seinfield, Friends, Dawson’s Creek, Drew Carey, X-Files, Law & Order, Heat Night Predator, NBA Playoffs, Novelas, Cristina Edicion Especial, Cine De Estrellas, Gran Musical, Ver Par Cree, Mujer Casos—Vida Real, and La Hora Pico.

Network Radio programming was bought on ESPN Morning Show, Tony Kornheiser Show, Dan Packard Show, NBA Playoffs, Major League Baseball, Doug Banks, Ton Joyner, Don & Mike, Tom Leykis, NHL Finals, Gen X, and The Edge.

Paid Media Activity Description
Similar to previous Mobilizations, 45 states spent TEA-21 grant funds towards placing paid advertisements that encouraged motorists to put on a safety belt or receive a ticket. The level of funding, however, was far greater compared to previous Mobilizations. For example, nearly $5 million was spent by 41 states in November 2002 to advertise enforcement efforts; close to three times that level ($16 million) was budgeted by 45 states for the May 2003 Mobilization (Table 1). Another $8 million was spent in a targeted national buy, with another $600,000 in added value. The ads targeted males, aged 18-34, including African American and Hispanic men, watching network and cable television and listening to radio.

Safety Belt Enforcement Activity Summary
Table 2 presents the total number of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) across 45 states that reported May Mobilization enforcement. Forty-one percent of LEAs (7,125) reported some level of activity. Nearly an equal proportion of LEAs reported in primary states as did in secondary states.

Table 2. Enforcement Descriptions

Table 3 shows the number of safety belt citations issued during the mobilization and citations issued per 10,000 residents. Enforcement results were dependent not only on level of ticket writing, but also on the number of agencies reporting and completeness in reporting. Several states provided information indicating that far fewer than the total number of participating agencies actually reported and, as such, what is presented in Table 3 understates total enforcement activities.

Across the 44 (of 45) states that reported number of safety belt tickets issued, 508,492 tickets were reported issued for non-compliance with safety belt laws. Primary law states issued the majority of safety belt tickets, even though these states were fewer in number than secondary law states (17 versus 27). Primary law states issued 66 percent of belt tickets (334,945) and secondary law states issued 34 percent (173,547).

The difference in ticketing level is obvious when looking at citations per resident population. Based on U.S. Census population figures (U.S. Census, 2000), primary states issued 24 safety belt tickets per 10,000 residents, secondary states issued 14 (based on 44 states). Another notable difference is that secondary states issued speeding tickets at more than double the rate of primary states, 25 versus 11 citations per 10,000 residents (based on 30 states). The difference may be due to the fact that secondary enforcement requires a vehicle to be stopped for a reason other than non-compliance with the safety belt law. Rates ofDWI arrests were more even between law types. States (38) reported 22,420 alcohol related arrests during the period of enforcement.

Table 3. Reported Citations/Arrests