Posted on: Monday, July 12, 2004

ISLAND VOICES
Hawai'i's seat-belt law a clear success

A Wisconsin auto-dealer trade association executive phoned Hawai'i dealers to inquire why our state had been so successful in creating high seat-belt usage.

Hawai'i was first in the nation to reach 95 percent compliance, according to a state Department of Transportation announcement.

Wisconsin, without a primary-seat-belt law, had compliance only in the 70 percent range, said Don Hansen, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Mega Milwaukee. "How did Hawai'i get such high compliance?" Hansen asked.

It wasn't hard to learn whom to thank for all the lives saved by Hawai'i's tough seat-belt law. The seat-belt bill, introduced in 1984 and passed the following year, established Hawai'i as one of the first states to set a stiff fine for violators.

The year before, Hawai'i had experienced 140 traffic deaths on the state's highways. Department of Health testimony before the Transportation Committee, chaired by Sen. Benjamin Cayetano, stated that 100 percent seat-belt usage would result in at least a 50 percent reduction in fatalities, saving 70 lives. The archive records showed that the seat-belt bill, sponsored by then Rep. Brian Taniguchi, received strong supporting testimony from nonprofit associations like the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, the Hawaii Highway Users' Federation, the Hawaii Epilepsy Foundation and the Hawaii Child Transportation Safety Coalition.

Recently, with seat-belt compliance at an all-time high, the state Department of Transportation reported the number of lives lost in car crashes has dropped to 85 for the year 2003, 55 car-related deaths lower than the 1983 level.

Of course, new technologies developed by automakers, like air bags, now in newer vehicles, have played a role, but there's no question that high seat-belt usage has been key to the saving of lives. Today, according to DOT, there is a fine of $77 for non-compliance.

So, to Wisconsin I answered, you need a clear law with a penalty, everyone working together, effective communication to the public through the media, and vigorous enforcement. Then, your state can achieve high levels of compliance and subsequent successful improvements.

The larger lesson to be learned for us in Hawai'i, however, is: How can we use this successful model to address other Hawai'i issues?