SECRETARY SLATER ANNOUNCES AWARDS TO SIX STATES TO INCREASE SEAT BELT USE

Topics:  Rodney E. Slater

NHTSA
October 2, 1997

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHTSA 52-97
Thursday, October 2, 1997
Contact: Tim Hurd
Tel. No. (202) 366-9550

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced the award of $125,000 each to Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, New Mexico, South Carolina and Virginia to assist them in conducting high visibility, statewide enforcement campaigns to decrease air bag-related injuries through increased safety belt and correct child safety seat use.

"Safety is President Clinton's top transportation priority. By increasing the proper use of seat belts and child safety seats, we can prevent needless tragedies and meet the goals of the President's initiative for increasing seat belt use nationwide," Secretary Slater said.

One of the goals of the national strategy is to increase seat belt use to 85 percent by the year 2000. The department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is providing funds to help carry out the following critical state programs in support of that strategy:

* Mini-grants to local law enforcement agencies to reimburse them for officer time associated with participation in time-specific statewide enforcement programs;

* Mini-grants to state and local agencies to reimburse them for time associated with officer instructor and officer training in seat belt law enforcement campaigns; and

* Salary support for officers designated as peer-to-peer spokespersons to promote state and local participation in coordinated multi-jurisdictional efforts.

Each of the following state organizations received $125,000 grants: Division of Highway Safety of the Colorado Department of Transportation, Connecticut Office of Transportation, Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, New Mexico State Highway and Transportation, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety and Transportation Safety Services of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

The funds will supplement the $500,000 each of the states received earlier this year from the Air Bag Safety Campaign to conduct a wide range of other activities associated with a high visibility, statewide enforcement campaign.