Click It or Ticket Campaign

1. IN FY02 50 MARINES WERE KILLED IN PRIVATE 4-WHEEL 
VEHICLE CRASHES. IN THOSE CASES THAT WE COULD DETERMINE SEAT
BELT USE, NEARLY HALF OF THOSE KILLED WERE UNBELTED. IN 
NOVEMBER WE INTENSIFIED THE EFFORT TO STOP THESE SENSELESS, 
PREVENTABLE DEATHS BY A CORPS-WIDE SEAT BELT ENFORCEMENT BLITZ
IN CONCERT WITH THE NATIONAL "CLICK IT OR TICKET" MOBILIZATION.
ALL INDICATIONS FROM OFF-BASE CRASHES SHOW AN INCREASE IN 
SEAT BELT USE, AND A CORRESPONDING DECREASE IN OVERALL INJURIES
AND FATALITIES. THE RESULTS OF PAST CAMPAIGNS EMPHASIZING 
SEAT BELT USAGE ILLUSTRATE SIMILAR RESULTS. SEATBELTS MINIMIZE
INJURIES AND SAVE LIVES IN ACCIDENTS. THERE IS SIMPLY NO EXCUSE
NOT TO WEAR ONE EVERYTIME WE RIDE IN A VEHICLE. 
2. MANY OF OUR MARINES ARE CURRENTLY DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT THE 
GLOBE IN DIFFICULT OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS. HOWEVER, I WANT TO 
STRESS THAT SOUND RISK MANAGEMENT AND SEATBELT USE APPLY AS 
MUCH TO OPERATING TACTICAL VEHICLES AS TO PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES. 
3. WE WILL SUSTAIN THE MOMENTUM OF OUR RECENT EFFORTS BY 
PARTICIPATING IN THE NEXT NATIONAL MOBILIZATION THAT BEGINS 
MONDAY, 19 MAY 03. VISIT WWW.NSC.ORG/AIRBAG.HTM AND REGISTER 
YOUR PARTICIPATION ONLINE OR DOWNLOAD THE FORM AND FAX IT TO 
202-338-0415. YOU WILL BE SENT AN ORGANIZING KIT ABOUT FOUR 
WEEKS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. MOBILIZATION MATERIALS WILL ALSO 
BE AVAILABLE ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV. PER MCO
5100.19E, THERE IS ZERO TOLERANCE FOR UNBELTED VEHICLE 
OCCUPANTS IN THE MARINE CORPS, BUT THIS IS NOT JUST A MATTER
OF OBEYING A LAW. IT IS ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING. WEARING
A SEATBELT INDICATES A PROFESSIONAL MARINE, DEDICATED TO 
PRESERVING THE FORCE BY PROTECTING HIMSELF FOR HIS FAMILY, 
FRIENDS, AND THE 'CORPS. WE OWE IT TO EACH OTHER AND OUR 
COUNTRY TO REMAIN CAPABLE OF ANSWERING THE CALL TO DUTY 
AT ANYTIME DURING THESE TIMES OF CONFLICT. 
4. SEMPER FIDELIS, W. L. NYLAND, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, 
ASSISTANT COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS