The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

FMCSA Launches Annual "Be Ready. Be Buckled." Safety Belt Art Contest for Kids


toddler in car (select to view enlarged photo)

WASHINGTON--Dec. 4, 2013: The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced the launch of the 2014 "Be Ready. Be Buckled." student art contest organized by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership. Open to students in kindergarten through sixth grade with relatives or sponsors in the commercial truck and bus industries, the contest educates kids about highway safety and urges commercial drivers to buckle up on every trip.

"Safety belts save lives, and this contest is a great way to engage our kids in a conversation about the importance of buckling up before every trip," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "The calendars also serve as a year-round reminder about traveling safely on our roadways."

According to recently released data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012 (the most recent year available) 697 occupants of large trucks were killed in crashes. Further analysis by FMCSA researchers revealed that approximately 40 percent were not wearing safety belts.

"Every year, thousands of lives are lost and injuries incurred in motor vehicle crashes because drivers and passengers fail to buckle-up," said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "We can save lives by encouraging safety belt use 100 percent of the time, and this contest sets a positive safety example for the next generation."

FMCSA will accept contest submissions through Feb. 28, 2014. Students can submit their artwork by mail to the following address:

CMV Safety Belt Partnership c/o CVSA Attention: Lisa Claydon 6303 Ivy Lane, Suite 310 Greenbelt, MD 20770

Artwork will be evaluated in two categories: one for kindergarten through second grade, and another for third through sixth grade.

Twelve winners will be selected in March 2014 and their artwork will appear in the 2015 "Be Ready. Be Buckled." contest calendar.

All 12 students will also be honored at a ceremony at USDOT headquarters to be held in the spring.

To learn more about the "Be Ready. Be Buckled." contest, visit:Safety Belt .