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Transport Secretary Commends California for Buckling Up

26 June 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Slater Commends California
on 90 Percent Seat Belt Use

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater, today commended the
people of California for becoming the first state in the nation to
achieve a 90 percent seat belt use rate.

"President Clinton has set the goal of 90 percent seat belt use
nationwide by the year 2005 because seat belts are the most effective
means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries," said Secretary
Slater.  "Through this remarkable achievement, California will reap
enormous benefits in health and safety for its citizens."

Slater stated that if all states maintained an 85 percent seat belt use
rate, annually, more than 4,000 deaths and 100,000 injuries would be
prevented.  Currently, the national buckle-up rate is 69 percent.

Under President Clinton's Initiative to Increase Seat Belt Use, announced
in his December 1996 radio address, the President asked all Americans to
wear seat belts as a first line of defense against injuries and
fatalities and always to keep children aged 12 and under buckled in the
back seat where they are safest.  He directed the Secretary of
Transportation to develop a plan to increase the use of seat belts
nationwide.

The plan, developed by the department's National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), has four elements:

* Build public-private partnerships to help America reach its potential
of saving lives and preventing injuries through the use of seat belts and
child safety seats;

* Expand well-coordinated effective public education programs;

* Ask the states to enact strong legislation for standard seat belt laws
and strengthened child passenger safety laws; and

* Embrace active, high visibility law enforcement of seat belts.

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