Remarks Prepared For Delivery Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater Announcement of New Seat Belt Law in the District of Columbia

Rodney E. Slater, United States Secretary of Transportation
April 30, 1997

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 30, 1997
Contact:  Tim Hurd
Tel. No. (202) 366-9550

REMARKS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RODNEY E. SLATER
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW SEAT BELT LAW
IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
APRIL 30, 1997
WASHINGTON, D.C.

On Monday, I was with the President and former Presidents in Philadelphia, seeing the goodness that will come from volunteerism.

I want to commend all of you, and the 100 community organizations -- your volunteers -- who came together and said: we can do better. This city, whose lawmakers drive a nation, now has the nation's best law for its drivers. I thank you, and all your volunteers.

Because the good people that Americans are, usually if you just ask, will you volunteer?, they ll step forward.

But I said usually, for there is one area independent-minded Americans haven t volunteered enough in. That is volunteering to buckle their seat belts.

Unfortunately, it has been this way for four decades.

Around the year I was born, seat belts were first coming out -- as an option. There weren t many volunteers. Maybe 2 percent of new car buyers ordered them.

So, in the '60s government mandated we put belts in all cars, but only about one in 10 Americans voluntarily buckled.

Then in the '80s, the District joined the states in mandating belts be worn, and to this day only about six in 10 drivers in the District buckle up, and seven in 10 in the nation do so.

Every parent knows if you can t get your children to volunteer, you volunteer for them. My four-year-old stiffens her body when I try to put her in her car seat, making it very difficult to buckle her properly. In fact, she thinks she should be the driver. But I buckle her up properly anyway.

And I know our friends in the District, with this new law, will get a few more volunteers to buckle up. For with this law, an officer can stop a driver or passenger for no other reason than they aren't buckled.

This law is the first in the nation to require occupants be restrained in all four seating positions; it is the first to assess two points to the violator s driving records; and the fine will be raised from $15 to $50.

Many may ask, why attach points to this law? The answer is simple: although many D.C. residents will voluntarily comply, some unfortunately will modify their behavior only because they fear the effect of points. And that's okay. Because I firmly believe that driving is a privilege to be earned, not an inherent right.

This law is the pace-setter for the nation, and it clearly contributes to President Clinton s vision of the nation s capital becoming the national showcase for safety.

And now the tough work is about to begin. The officers must go from precinct to precinct, and ward to ward, making residents aware of the life saving and injury preventing benefits of buckling up, of obeying this law.

Two weeks ago, I stood at the White House, with several former Transportation Secretaries, asking every state to pass primary seat belt laws, so we can save 5,000 lives a year.

The District joins 11 states that now have these laws. I praise the lawmakers in everyone of the 11 for making their citizens safer -- California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas. Maryland will also have a primary belt law that will go into effect shortly.

Clearly they work. States with them have, on average, increased their seat belt use rates 15 percentage points, what I hope to do for the nation, and what you hope to do for the District.

And I say look around the world. At Canada. At Australia. At Western European countries. They have primary enforcement, and 90 percent of their citizens wear belts.

Seat belts are the number one way to save lives, assuming people use them. Through your enforcement efforts, we will make sure a few more of them use them.

So, I thank you, for taking this move. Together, we are making our capital city, a safer community for our residents and visitors.

Source:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)