Dec. 4, 2008

Onion Lake wins SGI Seatbelt Challenge

The community of Onion Lake will receive a cash prize of up to $50,000 to be used for local road safety improvements.

As part of its commitment to reduce deaths and injuries on Saskatchewan roads, SGI ran a Seatbelt Challenge in the Prairie North Health Region. The communities of Onion Lake, Sweetgrass and Thunderchild challenged each other to buckle up. Onion Lake won because it had the greatest improvement in seatbelt usage rates between surveys conducted in April and September 2008.

“The challenge was designed as a community-driven project to improve seatbelt use in the province,” said Shannon Ell, Manager of SGI Traffic Safety Promotion. “It included roadside activities and community-based events.”

SGI partnered with the community champions in the Prairie North Health Region such as band offices, health professionals, and students to conduct the challenge. Road-side public awareness activities were conducted where individuals spotted wearing their seatbelts were rewarded.

Student groups conducted two separate roadside observation surveys in each of the communities to measure seatbelt usage rates.

The survey results were very positive. Sweetgrass saw an increase of 8.9 per cent and Onion Lake saw an increase of 28.2 per cent between the two surveys, making that community the winner. Unfortunately, there were not enough observations to determine a result for Thunderchild.

“We are very excited about these results,” said Ell. “Even though the challenge has wrapped-up, SGI encourages everyone to continue to buckle up and remind their friends, family and neighbours to do the same every time they’re in a vehicle.”

With the success of the Prairie North pilot, SGI plans to continue the Seatbelt Challenge in 2009.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is the province’s self-sustaining auto insurance fund. SGI operates 20 claims centres across Saskatchewan and a head office in Regina. The organization’s 1,700 employees work directly with motor licence issuers across the province.

Remember . . . Buckle Up.

For further information, contact:
Kelley Brinkworth
SGI Communications
Phone: 306-751-3768
kbrinkworth@sgi.sk.ca