New traffic safety campaign launched to show physical impact of not using a seatbelt

COLUMBUS, Ohio - State leaders have come together to introduce a new traffic safety campaign.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Govenor Jim Tressel and Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Any Wilson launched the "Hard Hitter" campaign which uses a sports reference to show the impacts of not wearing a seatbelt. If one fails to use a seatbelt and is involved in an accident, it could feel like getting tackled by an athlete running at full speed.
If an occupant of a vehicle is hit by a car going 50 miles per hour, it acquires eight times the force of getting hit by a 240-pound football linebacker.
“Wearing your seatbelt every time you get in a car saves lives,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “We hope this campaign helps Ohioans realize that buckling up is serious. As someone who has spent a career watching how hard linebackers can hit, being unbuckled in a crash is worse.”
The state of Ohio's numbers on seatbelt usage at 85.2% continues to remain below the national average of 91.2%. In 2024, more than half of occupants killed in vehicle crashes were found not wearing a seatbelt.
A video was created along with the campaign and can be watched here.