Poster campaign aimed at increasing seat belt use

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Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has officially launched a new campaign aimed at increasing seat belt use among First Nations communities in northern Saskatchewan.

The campaign poster unveiled Sept. 21 at the Buffalo Narrows Friendship Centre features Gloria Desjarlais, a Metis Elder from Buffalo Narrows who credits a seat belt with saving her life when she was involved in a serious car crash. The poster tells Desjarlais' story, showing that real people avoid injury or death every day because they use their seat belts.

According to SGI, six people driving in Aboriginal communities were killed in car crashes in 1999, while another 59 were injured. None were wearing seat belts. Studies show wearing a seat belt can increase the chances of surviving a crash by almost 50 per cent.

"It almost always seems like they are single vehicle rollovers where the person gets ejected and gets killed, either instantly, or as a result of their injuries," Jamie Lerat said. Lerat is SGI's community relations coordinator for traffic safety promotion. Her work takes her to Aboriginal communities on a regular basis.

"It takes less than one second for an unrestrained motorist to be killed in a high speed collision. We want motorists to take this message seriously and to arrive alive by buckling up," Lerat said.

The new seat belt poster is the second created by SGI aimed specifically at Aboriginal communities in Saskatchewan. The first poster dealt with snowmobile safety, and was released at the beginning of the snowmobile season in 1999. That poster won SGI an award from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators in the public affairs and consumer education poster category.

The new seat belt survivor poster will be distributed in same way as the snowmobile poster, sent out to all First Nations communities throughout the province, to band offices, health clinics and schools. Posters will also be sent out to police detachments serving reserves, to people in injury prevention, and to health districts, as well as to some organizations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba involved in injury prevention.

Lerat said the response to the new seat belt survivor poster was very positive within the community of Buffalo Narrows. She said the mayor of Buffalo Narrows spoke at the poster unveiling, talking about the pride within in the community of being involved in the making of the poster, and encouraging young people to respect their bodies by wearing their seat belts and wearing them properly.

In conjunction with the campaign launch, a child restraint seat workshop was also held at the friendship centre on Sept. 22. As well, SGI traffic safety promotion has also teamed up with the Saskatoon Abilities Council and the University of Saskatchewan to donate 100 child restraint seats to northern Saskatchewan communities.

Lerat said the child restraint seat workshops are ongoing, with more and more communities asking her to come out and explain proper car seat use. The workshops cover such things as how to properly install the seats, how to properly restrain children in them, why car seats should be used, what the law is in regard to car seat use, and tips on what to look for when buying a second hand car seat.

"Personally, when I'm on the reserves, it's not uncommon to see people not wearing their seat belts, and it's not uncommon to see children standing up in the vehicle who should be in child restraints," Lerat said.

For more information about the new seat belt survivor campaign or to get a copy of the poster, call Lerat at 1-800-667-8015, ext. 6382.