Subaru of America Endorses Operation ABC '98

18 May 1998

    CHERRY HILL, N.J., May 17 -- Subaru of America, Inc. joins
law enforcement and the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign this week in
sending the message that "unbuckled children are unacceptable."  Operation ABC
'98: Mobilizing America to Buckle Up Children begins this week, May 18-25,
across the country.
    Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death to
children under 15.  A full 40 percent of children continue to ride unbuckled
every day.  Recent studies show that when a driver is unbuckled in a crash, 70
percent of the time children riding with them will also be unbuckled.  Last
year, 2,100 children died in automobile crashes and of those children more
than 1,200 were totally unrestrained.
    "Education alone will not change these statistics," said Richard Marshall,
director of corporate communications for Subaru.  "It is illegal in every
state in the country for children to ride unrestrained, yet six out of 10
children who die in automobile crashes are unbuckled -- a tragedy made greater
by the fact that a large number of these deaths are totally preventable."
    Law enforcement officials nationwide will be stepping-up enforcement of
child passenger safety laws.  High visibility efforts are underway with over
4,000 agencies in all fifty states.  The mobilization is being conducted in
cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Buckle Up America
Campaign, that set ambitious goals to reduce crash-related injuries and
fatalities to children.
    "By combining education and enforcement, efforts like Operation ABC '98
will save the lives of children," said Marshall.  Subaru will help spread the
message by educating the public on the ABCs: "Air bag safety: Buckle everyone!
Children in back!"  This message can be found on every Subaru print
advertisement and has been built into product brochures.  Dedicated to keeping
customers and employees safe, Subaru sends educational packets to owners of
Subaru vehicles and holds seminars for employees.
    Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy
Industries Ltd. of Japan.  Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company
markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a
network of nearly 610 franchised dealers across the United States.  All Legacy
models sold in the U.S., including the Outback and Sport Utility Sedan, are
produced at the company's American manufacturing plant, Subaru-Isuzu
Automotive, Inc., near Lafayette, Ind.  In 1998, Subaru celebrates 30 years in
the U.S. market, having sold over three million vehicles.