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Significant Jump in Colorado's Safety Belt Usage

30 September 1998

SECRETARY SLATER, GOVERNOR ROMER
ANNOUNCE SIGNIFICANT JUMP
IN COLORADO'S SAFETY BELT USAGE

        U. S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today joined
Colorado Governor Roy Romer in reporting a state-wide safety belt usage
rate of 66 percent, an increase of six percentage points from last year,
following an aggressive statewide effort including enforcement and an
intensive public information campaign.

        "Safety is President Clinton's highest transportation priority,"
Secretary Slater said.  "Our national strategy for increasing seat belt
use can point to Colorado as a fine example of encouraging people to use
their seat belts --the most effective life-saving device in a motor
vehicle."

        In May 1997 the Colorado Department of Transportation, with
funding from the department's National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and the Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign,
began its award-winning campaign called "Do the Twist, It's the Law."

         Seat belt usage from 1990 through 1996 had shown little
improvement.  However, now a study just completed by Colorado State
University (CSU) shows that occupant restraint usage in the state has
increased significantly since the beginning of the campaign.

* Seat belt use for all ages (in all vehicles) is now at 66 percent, up
from 55.6 percent in 1996 and 59.9 percent in 1997;

* For cars, vans and sport utility vehicles, usage is even higher, 71.2
percent, up from 61.5 percent; and

* Usage in pickup trucks is at 50.8 percent, up from 39.5 percent in 1996.

        Secretary Slater made special note of the increase in safety seat
use for children from birth to 3 years old: the survey shows 89 percent
use, a big increase from the 71 percent observed in 1996 before the
campaign began.

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