Luchemos por la Vida is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, oriented towards public good. It works to prevent traffic accidents in our country, Argentina, where chaotic, irregular, and deadly traffic caused 7,137 deaths last year, more than 100,000 injuries ranging from light to serious, thousands of disabled people and appalling material losses which add up to 10 billion dollars annually according to estimates. The traffic accident fatality rate is 7-10 fold higher than that of developed countries in relation to the number of vehicles circulating in Argentina (estimated at 6,440,000). The goal at Luchemos por la Vida is to prevent traffic accidents. Significantly, Luchemos por la Vida means Let's fight for life. Within this context, in 1990, when the association had just been started, the our first poster, to promote seat belt use was launched. Since then a strong, ongoing campaign on TV and radio, aimed at the general public, in order to create awareness about the benefits of seat belt use, which has been on the air for 14 years. On the other side, efforts were focused on the passing of a seat belt use law, which was finally passed quite easily and fast; but then, having authorities enforce that law is what has always been more difficult to achieve. At the end of 2004, enforcement helped raise seat belt use in Buenos Aires to 86 per cent for private cars. But we are in danger of seeing those numbers drop as enforcement is once more forgotten. If that control is reinstated in Buenos Aires, it will soon extend itself to the rest of the country, and that could help save 1,000 lives a year (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see E217780.
Abstract