New Safety Campaign Awards Seatbelt-Bucklers with Buck$

By: Steve Ross Email

Updated: Mon 6:53 AM, Jul 16, 2012

Talk about easy money... Now someone's paying folks just to wear their seatbelts.

The new Nebraska Safety Council campaign is called "Bucks for Buckles," and it's targeting Nebraska's nine least seatbelt-wearing counties: Madison, Platte, Lincoln, Saline, Gage, Scotts Bluff, Custer, Dawson, and Otoe.

This summer the non-police organization will do random voluntary stops. Those wearing seatbelts will get a one dollar coin.

Those not buckled up will receive seatbelt education materials.

Grand Island driver's education instructor Michael Niece says, for safety's sake, there's just no way around it.

Michael Niece: "Seatbelts are primary."

And, as a driver's ed teacher, he's heard most every seatbelt complaint, and excuse.

Michael Niece: "I'm only driving down to the post office which is ten to twelve blocks away. That's the most common one."

But, niece says, seatbelts are a must, for both drivers and passengers, and he can prove it.

Michael Niece: "I have videos that show crashes with young people in the back seats who did not wear seatbelts."

A safety campaign that actually pays people who've chosen to buckle up sounds like a fresh approach, but the question remains: Will it change driver and passenger behavior?

Some are optimistic...

Recent California transplant and driver Robby Fisher: "I think everybody is subject to changing their own behavior, so yeah I think it would help."

Grand Island "Island Oasis" visitor Donald Harris: "You know if everybody would start wearing their seatbelt like they're supposed to, then the people who don't like to wear their seatbelt would probably engage with them and try it. It works."

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