Saturday, July 24, 2010

There is no question that wearing your seat belt when you are driving or riding in a car is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent critical injury in the event of an accident. Studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have shown that wearing seat belts reduces your chances of suffering a critical injury in an accident by as much as 90 percent.

We also believe that the campaign by law enforcement agencies across the county during Buckle Up America week in May this year and its catchy slogan "Click It or Ticket" was a really good way to get the message out.

Additionally, in the congested streets of Key West and the dimly lighted areas throughout the Florida Keys, it would behoove any cyclist or motorist to be vigilant when riding at dusk and dawn to prevent accidental unions of the two -- Key deer are not the only victims on Keys roads. Also, bicyclists need to remember that they are operating a vehicle on the streets, and they must obey all of the laws that govern automobile drivers.

What we don't agree with is the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Key West Police Department's electronic signs, displayed throughout the Keys and Key West, stating harsh and uninviting warnings of the consequences of noncompliance with our laws.

It would help to run the proposed verbiage though the Monroe County Tourist Development Council for an additional opinion on more inviting ways to get the message across in a tourism-driven county. We ask that the Sheriff's Office and Police Department consider the fact that U.S. 1 affords us the most spectacular and inviting panoramic vistas that arguably are the best advertisement for our unique island chain. Inserting into that view harsh electronic warnings about the consequences of noncompliance may not be the best complement to the image the Keys are trying to project.

Well-intentioned law enforcement agencies in the Keys should remember that tourists are guests in our communities. With the problems in the Gulf grabbing national attention, a widely publicized report about dengue fever in Key West, and the dampening impact of the Great Recession, the Keys should be extending a friendly hand -- and messages -- to those who choose to make Monroe County their vacation spot.

Remember, there are other places for them to go and spend their money.

-- The Citizen