Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater Operation ABC: Mobilizing America to Buckle Up Children

Rodney E. Slater, United States Secretary of Transportation
May 19, 1997

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 19, 1997
Contact: Tim Hurd
Tel. No. (202) 366-5580

REMARKS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RODNEY E. SLATER
OPERATION ABC: MOBILIZING AMERICA TO BUCKLE UP CHILDREN
MAY 19, 1997
WASHINGTON,D.C.

Today, I am very pleased to launch Operation ABC: Mobilizing America to Buckle Up Children.

Over the next week, law enforcement officers from more than 1,000 communities, in all 50 states, will be hard at work making sure children are properly buckled in the back seats of cars. Assisting them will be community groups, state agencies, and officials from my Department.

Now, let me speak first as a parent. I have a strong-willed four-year old, who stiffens her body every time I try to buckle her. So, I know very well the problems of buckling children.

It is easy to think, well, we're only driving a short distance, I'll let her have her way. And it's easy to think: I'm in a hurry, and nothing will happen.

I say ask the parents of the 1,800 children who died and 286,000 who were injured -- needlessly -- last year because adults did not take the responsibility to buckle children properly.

Five weeks ago, at the White House, I unveiled President Clinton's Plan to increase seat belt use by all Americans.

As Transportation Secretary, it astonishes me to think that while every car made in the last three decades has had seat belts; and every state and the District of Columbia have child safety seat laws -- 40 percent of our children ride unprotected.

Forty percent of American adults are not obeying the law. They aren't buckling their children. We can do better. Buckle up.

I know that I cannot meet the President's goal for America, I cannot make our children safer without the hard work of all of the people you see on this platform. And all the people they represent.

Let me say this. High visibility enforcement clearly works. Belt use rates in Canada and the United States used to be around the same. Then Canada began implementing special traffic enforcement provisions. And today, 9 out of 10 Canadians buckle up, but only 7 out of 10 Americans do. This is a great nation. We can do better.

So, on behalf of President Clinton, I thank our nation's law enforcement officers -- the men and women who are spearheading this effort. I thank our nation's governors and mayors, and all the leaders in the Air Bag Safety Campaign. Together, we will make this country safer for our children, the future of America.

Thank you.

Source:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)