Secretary Mineta and Three Members of Congress Honored for Helping United States Reach Record 80 Percent Seat Belt Use Rate

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2004 -- The Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign of the National Safety Council and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) today paid special recognition to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and three distinguished Members of Congress for their leadership in achieving the nation's highest seat belt use rate of 80 percent in 2004. Along with Secretary Mineta, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Ernest Istook Jr. (R-OK) were honored for their extraordinary commitment to saving lives on America's roadways.

"Thanks to these dedicated individuals, we've made important progress since 1997 when national seat belt mobilizations started, and observed belt use stood at 61 percent," said Chuck Hurley, executive director of the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign. "Reaching the 80 percent milestone means that nearly 53 million more vehicle occupants are buckling up, compared to seven years ago. The trend is very positive, but many more lives can still be saved if the national belt use rate is increased to the level of more than 90 percent that has been reached in some states."

The Department of Transportation credits high visibility seat belt enforcement campaigns, like Click It or Ticket, and the enactment of stronger seat belt laws in several states with the increase in belt use. The progress to reach the 80 percent seat belt use was greatly enhanced by the leadership of Senators Shelby and Murray and Representative Istook who led efforts to provide critical resources in support of high visibility seat belt enforcement campaigns. Senator Shelby and Rep. Istook are Chairmen of the Senate and House Subcommittees, which have responsibility for the Department of Transportation budget, including traffic safety programs. Senator Murray is the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Subcommittee.

"We applaud these individuals for supporting high visibility enforcement of seat belt and impaired driving laws. Seat belts are the best defense against a drunk driver," said Wendy J. Hamilton, national president of MADD. "We call on the remaining 29 states to enact these basic laws because they have been proven to increase seat belt usage and save lives."

Research has shown they reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and the risk of serious injury by 50 percent. Currently, only 21 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have primary seat belt laws which enable law enforcement officers to ticket motorists based solely on an observed seat belt violation, just as they do any other motor vehicle law. Stronger seat belt laws cover 60 percent of the U.S. population. The states represented by Senators Shelby and Murray and Representative Istook -- Alabama, Washington and Oklahoma -- all have primary seat belt laws.

"The evidence is clear that we are doing what works. We need to continue to build on this momentum, and we need more states to recognize the life- saving benefits of primary enforcement seat belt laws," Hurley added.

The Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, a program of the National Safety Council, is a public/private partnership of automotive manufacturers, insurance companies, child safety seat manufacturers, government agencies, health professionals and child health and safety organizations. The goal of the Campaign is to increase the proper use of safety belts and child safety seats and to inform the public about how to maximize the lifesaving capabilities of air bags while minimizing the risks.