Trooper BUCKLEBEAR(R) Encourages Safety Belt Use
21 April 1998
Trooper BUCKLEBEAR(R) Teams Up With Michigan State Police and TRW To Encourage Safety Belt Use
First Official Assignment Takes Trooper BUCKLEBEAR(R) to Local School
ROYAL OAK, Mich., April 21 -- Building upon its long-standing
partnership with automotive supplier TRW , the Michigan State
Police unveiled here today its newest traffic safety officer -- Trooper
BUCKLEBEAR(R) -- who will visit various schools and other community events to
encourage safety belt use.
In his first official assignment, the 4-foot-6-inch cuddly bear made his
debut today at St. Dennis Elementary School in Royal Oak before approximately
400 students, ages five to 12. Proudly donning badge No. 1668 on his police
uniform, wearing a safety belt and driving a customized miniature Michigan
State Police patrol car, Trooper BUCKLEBEAR interacted with the children and
shared a variety of traffic safety lessons.
"We can help make every ride in a vehicle a safe one by being a good
passenger," Trooper BUCKLEBEAR said to the smiling, attentive students. "You
need to make your safety belt go 'click' so the driver will know you're
buckled up and ready to go. Please do me a 'beary' big favor ... ask everyone
riding with you -- including your parents -- to be a good passenger by
buckling up on every ride."
Trooper BUCKLEBEAR, who was joined at the school ceremony by crash-test
dummies Vince and Larry, also stressed that the back seat is the safest place
for children.
"Not only do safety belts save lives, they also are required by law in
Michigan," said First Lieutenant Stephen Krafft, Michigan State Police - Metro
North Post. "Unfortunately, some people still are not wearing their safety
belts."
"We are confident that Trooper BUCKLEBEAR -- in his fun and adorable way
-- will help boost safety belt use," Krafft said.
"We are pleased to build on our association with the Michigan State Police
through this interactive way of emphasizing to children that seat belts are
the primary restraint system in a vehicle," said Robert M. Varga, vice
president and general manager of Seat Belt Systems for TRW. "Seat belt use is
an important issue, especially with children, and we believe that Trooper
BUCKLEBEAR will serve as a positive reinforcement for children to buckle up."
According to the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP), it is estimated
that 78 percent of motorists statewide are currently using safety belts. OHSP
also reports that occupants in crashes are 11 times more likely to be killed
if they are not wearing safety restraints. Michigan law requires that all
occupants in the front seat be properly restrained and that all children under
the age of 16 riding in the back seat also must buckle up.
Trooper BUCKLEBEAR Joins Post
As part of a $16,250 donation from TRW's Occupant Restraint divisions
based in Washington, Mich., the Michigan State Police purchased the radio-
controlled, animated BUCKLEBEAR robot from the non-profit Center for Injury
Prevention (CIP) located in Stevens Point, Wis. The Michigan State Police and
TRW -- the world's largest supplier of occupant restraint systems -- have
partnered on a number of child and vehicle safety issues since the early 1990s
through the Lexington, Ky.-based Automotive Occupant Restraints Council.
On Oct. 30, 1997, Trooper BUCKLEBEAR became an "official" enlisted member
of the Michigan State Police. Upon graduation, he was assigned police duties
at the Metro North Post in Oak Park.
Educators or organizations interested in having Trooper BUCKLEBEAR visit
their school or event can call him directly at 248-584-5750 or contact him via
e-mail at bucklebear@state.mi.us.
The Washington, Mich.-based Occupant Restraint divisions of TRW -- which
is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio -- are responsible for the company's
worldwide inflatable restraint and safety belt systems. The company produced
more than 58 million safety belts and 18 million air bags in 1997.
The Center for Injury Prevention provides a wide range of BUCKLEBEAR
educational programs for use by community organizations in teaching children
between the ages of two and eight to be safe car passengers, pedestrians,
tricyclists and bicyclists. For more information, contact CIP at
800-344-7580.
The Oak Park-based Metro North Post of the Michigan State Police provides
police services for a population of 1.7 million people in Oakland County and
the southern half of Macomb County. The post is responsible for 8,414 miles
of roadway and 117 miles of expressway covering an area of 1,210 square miles.
The $2.3-million, 15,000-square-foot facility -- which opened in June 1997 --
features some of the highest trained officers and state-of-the-art technology.
The post is commanded by two lieutenants and has six sergeants, 47 troopers,
five motor carrier officers, two detectives, two polygraph examiners and one
canine unit.
SOURCE Michigan State Police
