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Automakers Urge Parents to Make Sure Kids Are Buckled Up

23 November 1998

Automakers Urge Parents to Make Sure Kids Are Buckled Up

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 -- The following statement was released
by Andrew H. Card, Jr., President & CEO of the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association, in support of Operation ABC Mobilization: America
Buckles Up Children. From November 23 through November 30, law enforcement
officers from 5,000 agencies across the nation will step up enforcement of
laws requiring that children be properly buckled up.

    "American automobile manufacturers have long been leaders in the effort to
make sure that every occupant in an automobile is properly restrained. That
means correct use of safety belts for older children and adults, and
properly-installed child seats for infants and small children.
    "We've made progress, but there is still a lot to be done. Too many adults
still aren't buckling up, and research shows that when adults don't buckle up,
their kids usually aren't properly buckled either. And traffic accidents are
still the leading cause of death of children ages 0 to 15 in the United
States.
    "So we support Operation ABC which, during the upcoming week and
Thanksgiving holiday, will focus public attention on the need to properly
buckle up every child every time. In some areas of the country, 'zero
tolerance' for unbuckled kids is the rule, and law enforcement officers will
be issuing citations to drivers who don't have every child properly
restrained.
    "Nobody wants to get a ticket, especially during the joyous time of our
Thanksgiving holiday. But the message is too important to ignore: Kids are our
most precious cargo, and we need to do everything we can to make sure they
have a safe and happy trip."
    AAMA is the trade association whose members are DaimlerChrysler
Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors Corporation.  The AAMA
site on the World Wide Web can be reached at http://www.aama.com.