UPDATE: NHTSA Administrator, Rep. Knollenberg (R-MI) to Launch National Click It or Ticket Mobilization at Michigan Press Conference

             New Data To Be Released: Pickup Truck Occupants
                        Least Likely to Buckle Up

National Highway Transportation Safety Administrator Dr. Jeff Runge and Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) will launch the National Click It or Ticket Mobilization at a press conference on Monday, May 16th. Dr. Runge will also release new safety belt and fatality data showing that safety belt use in pickup trucks is significantly lower than in cars.

A more than $26 million national and state ad campaign -- which in part targets pickup truck occupants -- will begin to air on May 16th to alert drivers to the nationwide seat belt crackdown (Tapes of the ads will be available at the press conference).

In addition to the 550 Michigan agencies participating in the Mobilization, hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers in all 50 states will step-up enforcement of seat belt and child passenger safety laws. While safety belt use in Michigan has climbed to 90.5 percent due to a primary enforcement safety belt law and high visibility enforcement, safety belt use for pick-ups lags at 85.3 percent. Safety belt use for 16-29 year-olds is also much lower than the state average at 80.9 percent.

  What:  * National news conference to launch the National Click It or
           Ticket Mobilization.

         * Release of new national data comparing safety belt use and
           fatalities in pickup trucks to cars and vans.

         * Launch of $26 million Click It or Ticket national ad campaign.

  Who:   Dr. Jeff Runge, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety
          Administration
         Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Chairman, Transportation, Treasury,
          Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee
         Phil Haseltine, Executive Director, Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety
          Campaign
         Colonel Tadarial Sturdivant, Director, Michigan State Police
         Chief William Dwyer, Farmington Hills Police Department
         Sheriff Michael Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff Department

  Where: Farmington Hills Police Department
         31655 W. 11 Mile Rd.
         Farmington Hills, Michigan

  When:  11:00 a.m., Monday, May 16th, 2005  (Catered Lunch To Follow)

PRNewswire -- May 16