Remarks by Secretary Slater on Safety Belt Use in Colorado |
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Rodney E. Slater, United States Secretary of Transportation
September 29, 1998
REMARKS PREPARED
FOR DELIVERY
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RODNEY E. SLATER
COLORADO INCREASES SEAT BELT USE
SEPTEMBER 29, 1998
DENVER, COLORADO
I am so pleased to be in the great state of Colorado, a state that truly understands the vital importance of investing in safety education. And today we are seeing how that investment is paying off.
Let me begin by congratulating Governor Roemer and Lieutenant Governor Schoettler on your efforts to raise seat belt awareness.
But, most importantly, I applaud the citizens of Colorado for heeding the safety message, and buckling up. Your direct actions led to a six percent increase in seat belt use for this state, and most importantly, child safety seat use jumped from 71 percent to 89 percent. What an impressive testament to your commitment to protect Colorado’s children.
Safety is President Clinton’s top transportation priority. He has committed more than $580 million in federal incentives to promote seat belt and child safety seat use in America.
Sadly, one in three Americans do not buckle up. But, at the President’s direction, we have a plan to change that.
We have set a national goal to educate America and increase seat belt use to 85 percent by 2000, and 90 percent by 2005. And I am happy to see that Colorado’s actions will help us get there.
The 21st century driver will wear seat belts.
Here is why it is so important - a matter of life and death. By getting 85 percent of Americans to buckle up, we will save an additional 4,200 lives and prevent 102,000 injuries every year.
We also set a goal that by 2000 we will reduce infant fatalities by 15 percent. Clearly, when almost 700 toddlers are killed in car crashes every year, many because their parents do not properly buckle them in the back seat, our nation can do better.
Through tougher legislation, public education and high visibility enforcement, Colorado has raised the bar on safety.
Governor Roemer, I applaud you. Colorado’s "Do the Twist, It’s the Law," campaign has engaged and encouraged the public to take personal responsibility for safety.
We all have a personal responsibility to do the right thing, and in this case -- the right thing only takes three seconds -- so "do the twist" and buckle up.
And you are never too young. My five-year-old, Bridgette, always checks to make sure that she and I are buckled up when we climb into a vehicle. So every time, without fail, we buckle up. Parents I cannot think of a more important lesson about personal responsibility to teach your children.
Seat belts are the number one way to save lives, so I ask everyone to join me as we "do the twist" for life. Together, we will succeed. I know our best days are yet to come.
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Source: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)