Abstract



A community program was implemented in one mall and two shopping centers in Charlotte, North Carolina, to increase patron seat belt use in the context of an ongoing statewide seat belt law enforcement program, “Click It or Ticket.” The program consisted of feedback signs at mall and shopping center exits displaying patron seat belt use rates, posters providing information about the benefits (number of lives and amount of money saved) of the “Click It or Ticket” program and urging patrons to use their seatbelts and check seat belt use rate information posted at mall exits, and flyers providing similar information as the posters. Following a baseline period, the program was implemented at Carolina Place Mall while the other two retail centers remained in the baseline condition. The program was then introduced at Matthews Festival Center, followed by Town Center Plaza. Seat belt use among drivers increased significantly from a rage of 73-74 percent to 83-85 percent at all three sites following the introduction of the program. Belt use among right front passengers also increased, but this change was statistically significant at only one of the three sites. Resumption of the statewide “Click It or Ticket” enforcement program was not associated with further increases in seat belt use.