Lincoln, Neb., – Bucks for Buckles, a new seat belt awareness campaign aimed at
encouraging drivers and passengers to buckle up while driving, will be launched this summer in selected counties across Nebraska. The campaign is a joint program of the Nebraska Safety Council and State Farm.“The single most effective means of protecting the lives of you and your passengers is wearing seat belts

and using appropriate child restraints every time you ride in a vehicle,” said Laurie Klosterboer, executive director of the Nebraska Safety Council. “The Bucks for Buckles campaign is a fun, rewarding way to help Nebraskans get the message that seat belts save lives.”

Of the 55 passenger vehicle fatalities recorded in Nebraska in the first five months of 2012, 43 or 78 percent of those fatally injured were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, Klosterboer said. A total of 34, or 78 percent, of those unbelted victims were thrown from the vehicle during the crash.

Bucks for Buckles hopes to help remind people how easy it is to save lives. The campaign sponsors will
connect with drivers at selected times and locations and award $1 coins to drivers who are securely buckled
in their seat belt. Those riding unrestrained will be offered educational materials about the effectiveness of
seat belts in saving lives and reducing injuries.
Bucks for Buckles will be implemented in 9 Nebraska counties in July and August. The times, dates and
locations where dollar coins will be distributed will not be announced in advance to maintain the element of
surprise. The counties selected for the campaign are Madison, Platte, Lincoln, Saline, Gage, Scotts Bluff,
Custer, Dawson and Otoe.

“These counties were selected based on their historically low seat belt usage,” Klosterboer said. “Nebraska’s
overall seat belt usage rate is 84 percent, but usage in these counties ranges from 50 to 75 percent.”