DES MOINES - State officials are going to new extremes to convince motor vehicle operators, especially young male drivers, to use seatbelts.

The governor's traffic safety bureau within the state Department of Public Safety unveiled an "extreme" new public service announcement campaign targeting drivers who don't buckle up.

Bureau chief Larry Sauer said traffic safety officials are employing what they consider to be an "edgy" television and Internet campaign that depicts young men participating in "risk-taking, thrill-seeking activities by performing outrageous stunts" to focus on the importance of seat-belt usage.

"The comical antics in this video provide a way to communicate a serious message about wearing seatbelts," said DPS commissioner Eugene Meyer. "This is a creative way to reach a very specific audience without preaching to them. The goal is to change behavior and save lives."

The ad campaign, dubbed MANIACS, ends by showing the men clicking their seatbelts and conveying the message that "some risks aren't worth taking" - like riding in a motor vehicle without wearing a seat belt, he said.

"We are using all resources at our disposal to educate motorists, keep impaired drivers off the road and get people to buckle up," Sauer said.

Since 2007, more than 400 Iowans who were not wearing seatbelts have died in traffic accidents, according to the bureau. Last year, 170 Iowans died unbelted, making it the No. 1 cause of traffic deaths by an overwhelming margin.

The new ad campaign is targeting the 7 percent of Iowa drivers who tend to not wear their seatbelts: a group primarily made up of males between the ages of 16 and 34 and drivers who have had several previous traffic violations or a previous crash history.

Research indicates the 7 percent of Iowans who don't buckle up account for 50 percent of Iowans' traffic deaths, according to bureau statistics. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for Iowans between the ages of five and 34, and are the leading cause of accidental death for all Iowans under age 65.