Governor's Office on Highway Safety and MetLife Auto & Home Kick Off Buckle-Up America Week
23 May 2000
Governor's Office on Highway Safety and MetLife Auto & Home Kick Off Buckle-Up America Week
Snoopy(TM) Participates in Seat Belt & Child Safety Seat Demonstration
WARWICK, R.I., May 23 The Rhode Island Governor's Office
on Highway Safety and MetLife Auto & Home kicked off Buckle-Up America Week at
MetLife Auto & Home's headquarters in Warwick, RI today. A distinguished
panel of experts joined forces to discuss the importance of ensuring that
children are properly restrained in their child safety seats and to encourage
the public to "buckle-up." Speakers included William D. Ankner, Ph.D.,
Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation; Dr. Scott Berns,
Medical Director, Pediatric Trauma at Hasbro Children's Hospital and Chair of
the Providence Safe Communities Partnership; George Luciano, New England
Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; John
Rutecki; Vice President of MetLife Auto & Home; Scott Avedisian, Mayor of
Warwick; and Col. Edmond S. Culhane, of the Rhode Island State Police.
Thousands of children are killed or injured each year by not being
properly restrained in their safety seats. Police officials, as well as those
in the medical field and the insurance industry joined the Governor's Office
on Highway Safety and the Department of Transportation to provide the latest
information on installing and maintaining child car seats. Following the
speaking program, a certified child passenger safety technician demonstrated
the proper installation procedure for child safety seats.
As part of the campaign in Rhode Island, police departments in 29 cities
and towns will conduct child safety seat clinics this week to remind parents
the importance of properly restraining their children in a safety seat. In
addition to the clinics extra police patrols will be on the road through the
Memorial Day Weekend to stop parents who violate the law and do not properly
restrain their children in a motor vehicle.
"We are proud to partner with the Governor's Office on Highway Safety and
the community on this innovative campaign to draw attention to the need for
the public to 'buckle up' and to focus on the importance of ensuring that
children are properly restrained in their safety seats," said John Rutecki of
MetLife Auto & Home. "Safety is an absolute priority at MetLife Auto & Home,
and we believe very strongly that if people wear their seatbelts, it will make
our roadways safer for all," he added. Rutecki also commented, that Snoopy,
who was in the passenger seat for the safety demonstration, ". . . is even
wearing his seat belt."
MetLife Auto & Home is a leading proponent of public safety, offerings
many materials free-of-charge to the public, including brochures on teaching
teens to drive, kids & airbags, tips for beginning drivers, boating safety,
preparing for natural disasters, and much more. The materials are available
by calling 1-800-MET-LIFE. MetLife Auto & Home is also a primary sponsor of
Rhode Island's Bike Safety Day again this year.
MetLife Auto & Home is one of the nation's leading personal lines property
and casualty companies with over 2.9 million policies in force. An affiliate
of MetLife, it provides insurance products for the auto, home, apartment,
condominium, boat, vacation and rental property, recreational vehicle, as well
as personal excess liability. For more information about MetLife Auto &
Home's products and services, please contact your local MetLife
representative, Property and Casualty Specialist, or authorized Independent
Agent; visit MetLife's Web site at http://www.metlife.com; or call 1-800-422-
4272.
Contact:
Joe Madden (401) 827-2015
Jmadden@metlife.com