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.

Lt. Governor Tressel stresses the importance of wearing a seatbelt to protect drivers and passengers. He also adds his experience in sports to compare to the seriousness of not wearing one. 
 

“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.