Donald Driver, Urban League Of Madison Give Talk To Promote Seat Belt Usage

The head of the Urban League of Greater Madison joined with former Green Bay Packers star Donald Driver on Thursday to talk about boosting use of seat belts, especially among African-Americans.

State transportation officials say officers will on the lookout for all drivers not wearing seat belts during the annual Click It or Ticket campaign. According to deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation Mike Berg, seat belt use is at an all-time high, with 82 percent of motorists strapping in.

“The bad news is that one out of five drivers and passengers is not buckled up,” said Berg. “Our state’s safety belt use rate still trails national average.”

Studies have shown seat belt usage among African-Americans is lower than the national average, and that more kids needs to be in car seats.

“Some of the leading causes of death among African-American children ages one to 14 is car crashes,“ said Noble Wray, interim president of the Urban League of Greater Madison.

Former Packer Donald Driver says parents should always use a car seat even if the child objects. He says his own daughter would occasionally put up a fuss.

“She fussed and fussed and fussed,” said Driver. “Now she gets in the car seat, because she knows that we can’t go anywhere without that car seat.”

State transportation officials say nearly 400 law enforcement agencies will take part in the Click it or Ticket mobilization, which lasts May 19 through June 1.