New Club Recognizes Missourians Saved by Their Safety Belt

Have you been Saved By the Belt? That’s the question traffic safety advocates are asking Missourians across the state to promote a new Saved By the Belt Club to encourage buckling up in a motor vehicle.

The Saved By the Belt Club, sponsored by the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, is an elite organization that recognizes those who have been saved by their safety belt in a traffic crash and are willing to share their life-saving story with others. The club was designed to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of safety belts and child safety seats by recognizing individuals who survived a traffic crash because they were buckled up.

“Safety belts work. All you have to do is read the newspapers to see that the people who fail to buckle up are often severely injured or die in a traffic crash,” said Director of Highway Safety Leanna Depue. “By sharing stories of people who were saved in a crash by buckling up, hopefully we can convince others to buckle up.”

Safety belts save hundreds of lives each year. By encouraging non-users to change their habits, even more lives could be saved. In the past three years, more than 3,600 people died in Missouri traffic crashes – 68 percent of them were not wearing a safety belt. Drivers have a one in 36 chance of being killed in a crash if they don’t buckle up. That chance drops dramatically to one in 1,140 if the driver was wearing their safety belt.

To apply for membership to the club, you must have been in a crash within the last 18 months in which you were saved by your safety belt. Applicants must be at least fifteen years of age and the crash must not involve criminal action for the person who applies.

Members inducted to this elite club will receive a recognition award, vehicle magnet and news release template to send to local media outlets to publicize the award. New members will also get to share their story about how a safety belt saved their lives.

MoDOT employees are also encouraged to apply! For more information about how you can join this elite organization or to fill out an application, visit www.saveMOlives.com,