Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
Contributed Photo Shawano Police Officer Jeff Lenzner and Shawano County sheriff’s deputy Joe Neumeier work a seat-belt check detail Wednesday at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St. Ten drivers who had remembered to buckle up were rewarded with $10 and a free T-shirt.
Some motorists who visited Walmart on Wednesday left the parking lot with a little extra money in their pocket.
Ten drivers who had the foresight to buckle up were each awarded $10 in cash and a “Buckle Up to Save Lives” T-shirt.
Shawano police and Shawano County sheriff’s deputies joined Dr. Brian Grieves in selecting random motorists for the honors as part of a seat-belt check program that is now in its 10th year.
“We’re trying to save lives and reduce serious injuries,” said Grieves, who initiated the program with the Shawano Police Department and Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.
Buckling up is a simple thing that many people tend to overlook, Grieves said.
Grieves noted that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children and many of those deaths could be avoided if seat belts had been used.
“Many fatal accidents involve people not wearing seat belts,” Grieves said. “Buckling up could save at least a few lives every year.”
Drivers and passengers who don’t use their seat belts can face a fine, but Wednesday’s effort was aimed at drawing positive attention to those who do buckle up — emphasizing the carrot instead of the stick, according to Grieves.
“We’re trying to be positive,” he said.
Nearly $6,000 in cash has been handed out to conscientious drivers over the past eight years, along with more than 500 T-shirts.
Grieves puts up the cash himself, while the T-shirts are donated by the Police Department.
Grieves said that 90 percent of drivers nationwide buckle up, but the average is lower in Wisconsin at about 80 percent.
Seat-belt use is even lower in Shawano County, he said. Depending on which study one goes by or when it was done, the county average is anywhere between 66 and 80 percent of drivers, Grieves said.
Wednesday’s effort, however, found a higher number of buckled drivers and passengers than years before.
“Eight out of 10 were wearing their seatbelts,” Grieves said. “That’s better than normal.”
One motorist who was pulled over and rewarded for being buckled in had previously been stopped during an earlier seat-belt check and was even wearing the “Buckle Up to Save Lives” T-shirt he was given last time, Grieves said.
Police Chief Mark Kohl said it was nice to see a positive interaction between police and drivers during Wednesday’s program.
“I watched from afar as the officers approached the drivers, whose faces turned from concern to laughter as they met with Dr. Grieves to receive their free T-shirt,” he said.
Shawano police and county sheriff’s deputies have worked together on the program since its inception, Sheriff Adam Bieber said.
“It’s a great program,” he said. “Drivers are very surprised and very thankful to receive a reward for wearing the seat belt. We do this once a year, and it’s always great to have our deputies participate in it.”