Ford Motor Company Applauds Acting New Jersey Governor DiFrancesco and State Legislators for Passage of Lifesaving Booster Seat Bill

         Ford Announces their Donation of 5,000 Free Booster Seats To
           Income-Eligible New Jersey Families Through United Way,
         Gives Additional Free Booster Seats to Its Customers Through
         Toys 'R' Us, and Sends Educational Program to Local Schools

    TRENTON, N.J., Sept. 6 Ford Motor Company today joined
Acting New Jersey Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco, the United Ways of Greater
Mercer County and of Essex and West Hudson, and a coalition of local and
national safety partners as the state's new booster seat bill was signed.
    The new bill requires booster seat use for children up to the age of eight
and/or less than 80 pounds who have outgrown traditional child safety seats
yet are still too small to fit properly in adult safety belts.
    At the bill signing Ford made the first of 5,000 booster seat donations to
needy families in the State as part of their national child passenger safety
campaign called Boost America!.
    "Our children are our most precious resource," said Acting Governor
DiFrancesco.  "This bill, combined with the generous donation of booster seats
from Ford, will help keep our state's children safe as they travel our roads
and highways.  I would like to thank Ford Motor Company for its efforts to
promote child passenger safety and for working to make such a difference in
the lives of New Jersey's children."
    The Boost America! national campaign includes three main components: 1)
Educational materials sent to all pre- and elementary schools in the nation
(152,000 + total), featuring a video by superstars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett
Smith for older children and a preschool kit featuring Blue from Nickelodeon's
"Blues Clues;" 2) the distribution of one million free booster seats
nationwide through United Way agencies and Ford Motor Company dealers, in
cooperation with Toys "R" Us, and 3) support of sensible booster seat
legislation in all 50 states.
    According to Ray Byers, Director of U.S. State and Local Government
Relations for Ford Motor Company, "We commend New Jersey for passing this
booster seat law and look forward to working with the state and our other
safety partners to deliver more than 5,000 free booster seats across the state
before the bill takes effect on December 1."
    Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show
that crash-related fatalities have declined steadily for infants and younger
children because most ride in child safety seats.  But there is no similar
reduction in fatalities among children ages four through eight because booster
seat use nationally is only about 20 percent.  More than 500 children in this
age group are killed each year in crashes and thousands more are seriously
injured.
     Safety experts say booster seats provide a necessary transition for
children who have outgrown child safety seats, but are not big enough to use
adult safety belts alone.  A booster seat raises a child up so that adult
lap/shoulder belts fit and protect better -- snugly across the chest and low
over the lap.
    As part of the one million seats giveaway, Boost America! will provide
500,000 seats to low-income families nationally through United Way agencies
across the country and 500,000 seats to Ford customers through Ford
dealerships and Toys "R" Us.  Five thousand (5,000) booster seats will be
distributed by United Way agencies and other safety partners throughout New
Jersey in the coming weeks.  Through the International Center for Injury
Prevention and its safety partners across the state, families receiving a free
booster seat from United Way will be given individual instruction on proper
use of the seat by a certified child passenger safety technician.  The goal is
to distribute all 5,000 seats by the bill's effective date of December 1,
2001.  Families who think they may meet the income requirements for the
program should call 1-866-UWA-SEAT to see if they are eligible and get more
information on the program.
    Said Craig Lafferty, President of the United Way of Greater Mercer County,
Inc., "As a leader in community problem-solving, United Way is always looking
for resources to help families.  Child safety is a major focus, and through
partnerships with generous corporations like Ford Motor Company, United Way is
better able to reach people with the services they need."
    In addition, Ford Motor Company is providing booster seats to its
customers statewide through participating Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo,
Jaguar, Land Rover and Mazda dealers.  Customers are being given vouchers for
a free or discounted booster seat at Toys "R" Us stores and more than 170,000
vouchers have been redeemed nationwide, nearly 6,000 in New Jersey alone.
    The new law makes New Jersey the seventh state in the nation to pass
booster seat legislation.  The six other states that have already passed
booster seat laws are: CA, WA, AR, SC, RI and OR.
    More information on Boost America! and on booster seats in general is
available at http://www.boostamerica.org or 1-866-BOOST-KID.  Citizens in New
Jersey who think they may be eligible for a free booster seat under the income
requirements may call 1-866-UWA-SEAT.

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