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Top Stories New Federal Rule to Make School Buses Safer, Allow Districts to Use Federal Funds to Pay for Seat Belt Installations, Announced by Transportation Sec. Peters | New federal rules will make the nation’s 474,000 school buses safer by requiring higher seat backs, mandating lap and shoulder belts on small school buses and setting safety standards for seat belts on large school buses, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced Oct. 15. “Even though riding in school buses is the safest form of travel in America today, any accident is still a tragedy,” said Peters. “Taken together, these steps are designed with a single purpose, making children safer.” News Release l Read the Final Rule | Seat Belt Use at Record Level in 2008 | More Americans are buckling up than ever before, Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said Sept. 17. In 2008, 83 percent of all vehicle occupants are using seat belts during daylight hours — up from 82 percent in 2007, according to NHTSA. “We have seen seat belt use rising steadily every year and that means more and more lives are being saved and countless serious injuries prevented,” said Peters. NHTSA estimates approximately 270 lives are saved for every one percent increase in belt use. News Release l 2008 Seat Belt Use Report | DUI Fatalities Down Nationwide and in 32 States | Sec. Peters announced an estimated 12,998 died in crashes where a vehicle operator had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, a 3.7 percent decline from the 13,491 killed in 2006. However, 25 states had an increase in the number of drunk motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes. News Release l 2007 State by State DUI Fatalities Report l En Español | |
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File A Complaint If you believe there is a safety-related problem with your vehicle or child seat | Motorcycle Safety Awareness | |
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