Tim Ryan, tryan@shawanoleader.com
Some motorists who visited Walmart on Monday for a little last-minute Christmas shopping ended up with a Christmas gift of their own.
Ten drivers who had the foresight to buckle up before hitting Monday’s snowy, slush-covered streets 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 seatbelt check program that is now in its eighth 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 seatbelts had been used.
Drivers who don’t use their seatbelts can face a fine, but Monday’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 $5,000 in cash has been handed out to conscientious drivers over the past eight years, and 500 T-shirts have been handed out.
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.
Seatbelt 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.
Drivers were a little more prepared than usual Monday. It took about 10 minutes to hand out cash and T-shirts to 10 motorists.
Usually, Grieves said, there is a lot more waiting around until someone wearing a seatbelt goes by.
“It’s amazing the number of people who don’t wear seatbelts,” Grieves said.
Grieves said those who got the cash and T-shirts were pleasantly surprised when they found out why they were being stopped.
“People were blown away,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to do this program.”
Seatbelt checks are also done around Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.