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U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of Public Affairs
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20590
www.dot.gov/affairs/index.html
FMCSA 08-12
Monday, May 7, 2012
Contact: Candice T. Burns
Tel.: (202) 366-9999
Kids Drive Safety Message With Annual “Be Ready, Be Buckled" Safety Belt Art Contest;
FMCSA Announces 2012 Contest Winners
WASHINGTON, DC - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Anne S. Ferro today announced the two winners of this year’s “Be Ready, Be Buckled” Safety Belt Student Art Contest at a ceremony at the U.S. Department of Transportation building in Washington, D.C.
Second grader Sophia Chen from Edison, New Jersey and fifth grader Richard He from Parsippany, New Jersey won top honors for their illustrations that stress the importance of commercial truck and bus drivers using their safety belts every time behind the wheel. In addition to the two winners, ten other talented students were acknowledged during the ceremony for their participation in the contest. “One of the easiest and most effective ways to make our roads safer is to buckle up,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This contest teaches kids to think safety first and reminds all of us that wearing a safety belt can save a life.”
The “Be Ready, Be Buckled” student art contest is organized by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership, which includes FMCSA and 29 other government agencies and organizations. Open to students in grades kindergarten through five with relatives in the commercial truck and bus industries, the contest educates kids about highway safety and urges commercial drivers to buckle up on every trip. According to FMCSA's Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Survey, more truck and bus drivers are using their safety belts while operating the vehicle with 78 percent buckling up in 2010 compared to 65 percent in 2009.
“When drivers of 40-ton trucks and passenger buses wear their safety belts, they make our roads safer for everyone,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “It’s exciting to see kids take the lead on safety by encouraging their families and communities to buckle up.” At today’s ceremony, the two contest winners were presented with a certificate of appreciation signed by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Anne S. Ferro and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator David Strickland. Additionally, both winners received framed replicas of their artwork and a $100 US savings bond courtesy of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership.
To learn more about the "Be Ready, Be Buckled" contest, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov. ###
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