UTAH, May 11, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Public Safety has launched a new campaign urging Spanish-speaking members of the community to “Ponte el Cinturón,” which translates to “Put Your Seat Belt On.”
The Ponte el Cinturón is a DPS/UHSO outreach campaign working to address traffic safety and seat belt issues among the Hispanic community in Utah.
“Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury in motor vehicle crashes. DPS hopes this campaign extends its life saving buckle up message and information to those who may not have heard it due to language barriers,” a Utah DPS statement says.
Lt. Nick Street, spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol, said in the news release that parents have the opportunity to set patterns for their children.
“Enforcement is only part of the solution. These new campaign videos speak to the need for seat belt safety culture among families, especially the influence children can have on parents,” Street said. “Our goal is to ensure that all Utahns hear this important safety message and make the decision to buckle up every time they travel.”
On the newly translated clickit.utah.gov/ponte website, visitors can find extensive resources on seat belt safety like how to properly wear seat belts and install car seats.
Over the past five years, 259 people lost their lives in unbuckled crashes on Utah roads, the Utah DPS statement says. In 2020, an estimated 61 additional lives would have been saved if everyone had been wearing seatbelts.
“In a crash, unbuckled passengers become deadly projectiles, with two options: ejection from the vehicle, or flying around the cab injuring themselves and possibly others,” the statement says.
“And it’s important to note that when the driver is unbuckled, 76% of children also ride unbuckled. When the driver is belted, 87% of children also ride with a seat belt. These facts gravely highlight the need for increased awareness of seat belt use.”
