Remarks by Secretary Slater at the DC's Clickin' Coalition Event

Rodney E. Slater, United States Secretary of Transportation
February 16, 1999

REMARKS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RODNEY E. SLATER
DC’S CLICKIN’! COALITION
"TICKET TO SAFETY" PRESS CONFERENCE
WASHINGTON, DC
FEBRUARY 16, 1999

At the Department of Transportation safety is our top strategic goal – our North Star. In the six years since President Clinton took office travel on America’s roads have become safer. Highway injury and fatality rates are at all-time lows.

In a survey we are releasing today, 19 million more Americans buckled up in 1998. And if these millions of people continue to use seat belts an estimated 1500 lives will be saved.

The Clinton-Gore Administration’s Buckle Up America plan is working and at this pace --we can reach the President’s goal to get every American to wear seat belts. We will not be satisfied until everyone, every time, buckles up.

Clearly, our four-pronged approach --legislation --enforcement --public education and community partnerships --works. We are changing driver behavior.

And we are here today because that approach is working for the people of the District of Columbia.

The District’s efforts to step up enforcement of lifesaving laws have resulted in a 24 percent increase in adult seat belt use --from 66 percent to 82 percent. That is a lot of lives saved.

Thanks to Mayor Anthony Williams and the DC’s Clickin’! Coalition, our nation’s capital leads the way in seat belt and child restraint enforcement and education.

And with innovative programs like "Ticket to Safety," the District will continue to be a model for the rest of America to follow. Providing loaner child safety seats shows that every District of Columbia child counts --that their lives are so precious. I think this is a wonderful idea and an important message to send.

Let me say a special word of thanks to Chief Charles Ramsey and the dedicated officers under his command. These men and women and thousands more like them --in every corner of the country --do the work on the streets to enforce laws that protect kids. You are saving our children and we thank you.

Traffic crashes are the number one killer of American children of all races. Each year, six out of every ten children killed are unbuckled. The tragedy is --half of them would be alive if they had just been restrained. Last year, of the 2,078 kids under the age of 16 killed in crashes --60 percent were unbuckled.

This is why the laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia must be strictly enforced. And this is why these officers’ work is so important.

Another reason it is so important --it works.

But Mayor Williams, Chief Ramsey and the DC’s Clickin’! Coalition are not resting on their laurels. They want to do even better and save even more lives. And I commend their efforts. Through the "Ticket to Safety" program every District child who needs a child safety seat will get one.

Our message is clear. Seats are available. Put your child in a proper restraint and buckle up! If you do not today and every day, you will be stopped and enforcement action will be taken. Because this community and its leaders understand what it takes to save lives.

I applaud you. I thank you. I am proud to stand here with you. Know that you have the support of my Department and the support of this Administration in your efforts to save District children’s lives. You are true champions. Thank you.

####

Source:  U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)