[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 74 (Monday, May 19, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H4213-H4214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS IN SUPPORT OF BUCKLE UP AMERICA WEEK

  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 166) expressing the sense of 
Congress in support of Buckle Up America Week.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 166

       Whereas Buckle Up America is a national campaign that 
     promotes and encourages safety belt and child safety seat 
     use;
       Whereas failure to wear safety belts and use child safety 
     seats contributes to more fatalities than any other single 
     traffic safety-related behavior;
       Whereas, in 2002, 42,850 people were killed in automobile 
     accidents and 2,914,000 people were injured in such 
     accidents;
       Whereas the economic cost to society is estimated at annual 
     cost of non-use at current safety belt usage rates is $26 
     billion per year;
       Whereas most passenger vehicle occupants killed in motor 
     vehicle crashes continue to be those not restrained by safety 
     belts or child safety seats;
       Whereas crashes are the leading killer of all children, 
     including African-American and Hispanic children;
       Whereas car crashes are the second leading killer of 
     African-American young men,
       Whereas according to the National Highway Traffic Safety 
     Administration, safety belts saved over 11,000 lives in the 
     United States in 2000; and
       Whereas educational programs like Buckle Up America Week 
     have increased seat belt usage: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) all people throughout the Nation should talk to family 
     and friends about the importance of wearing a safety belt;
       (2) law enforcement agencies should be commended for their 
     commitment to enforce safety belt usage laws;
       (3) national and community agencies and organizations 
     should be recognized and applauded for their work in 
     promoting awareness about Buckle Up America Week;
       (4) all legislative leaders should participate in Buckle Up 
     America events; and
       (5) drivers and passengers should insist their fellow 
     automobile passengers wear their safety belt and that all 
     children in the car are buckled up in the appropriate 
     restraint for their age, height, and weight.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia 
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri).
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This week is Buckle Up America Week. The legislation before us, House 
Concurrent Resolution 166, expresses the sense of Congress in support 
of Buckle Up America Week.
  This national campaign is dedicated to increasing the proper use of 
seat belts and child safety seats. For the first time in several years, 
highway fatalities increased from the previous year. Nearly 43,000 
people died and over 3 million were injured on our Nation's highways 
last year. This is the highest number of highway fatalities since 1990.
  According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research, 
in the past 26 years safety belts prevented 135,000 and 3.8 million 
injuries, saving $585 billion in medical and other costs. If all 
vehicle occupants had used safety belts during that period, nearly 
315,000 deaths and 5.2 million injuries could have been prevented and 
$913 billion in costs saved.
  We have made significant headway recently. Seat belt use has 
increased dramatically over the last 20 years. In 1984, seat belt use 
was only 15 percent. Today, the national average is 75 percent. But 
more needs to be done.
  Most vehicle occupants killed in motor vehicle crashes in recent 
years were not wearing seat belts. Even more disturbing is the fact 
that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children 
between the ages of 6 and 14. About half of children ages 4 to 7 who 
are fatally injured in motor vehicle accidents were completely 
unrestrained.
  Child safety seats save thousands of children's lives during motor 
vehicle crashes each year. This resolution draws much-needed attention 
to the pressing issue of increasing seat belt and child safety seat 
use. I applaud the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) for 
introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Buckle Up America Week marks a high point in our push for greater 
seat belt and child safety seat use. This week kicks off a massive $20 
million ``Click It or Ticket'' mobilization, the largest-ever 
nationwide law enforcement program to increase safety belt use. More 
than 12,000 law enforcement agencies in all 50 States, the District of 
Columbia, and Puerto Rico will conduct safety belt checkpoints as part 
of the mobilization.
  And all I can say is, watch out, Members, because we are doing it in 
this region.
  This year, the effort is specifically targeting one of our most at-
risk populations: teenagers. Due in large part to low seat belt use, 
fatality rates for teen drivers are four times higher than for older 
drivers. In 2002, 4,942 16- to 19-year-old teens were killed in traffic 
crashes, and thousands more were injured. Two out of the five deaths 
among teens are the result of a traffic crash.
  Today, safety belt use stands at 75 percent of the general 
population, but less than 69 percent for teens. We know the way to 
increase seat belt use is through strong laws and high visibility 
enforcement. Prior campaigns of this kind have produced a 9 percent 
overall increase in seat belt use. So today we begin by putting people 
on notice to click it or expect a ticket. The campaign runs through 
June 1st.
  I want to commend the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman 
from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), as well as the sponsor, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), for bringing this matter to the House floor. 
Because of our efforts, and especially efforts of communities and law 
enforcement agencies around the Nation, I believe we will see Americans 
and American teenagers

[[Page H4214]]

buckling up as never before. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for 
this lifesaving measure.
  Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I offer this resolution today and encourage 
my colleagues to join me in supporting Buckle Up America Week. This 
national campaign promotes awareness of safety belt and child safety 
seat use. The fundamental message is that seatbelts save lives. In 
2002, over 42,850 people were killed in automobile accidents, and 2.9 
million people were injured in such. An average of four Americans die 
every hour in car accidents, ninety-six people a day. Many of these 
injuries and deaths could be prevented by wearing a seatbelt.
  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated safety 
belts saved more than 11,000 American lives in 2000. Educational 
Programs like Buckle Up America Week have successfully increased seat 
belt usage. These programs aim to encourage children and adults to 
start or continue to use safety belts each time they get into their 
vehicles. I applaud all law enforcement agencies for their commitment 
to the enforcement of safety belt usage laws. Such dedication serves to 
encourage increased seat belt usage.
  Lack of seat belt use costs Americans $26 billion every year. We all 
pay higher health care and insurance costs because of unbelted drivers 
and passengers. But, the true cost is the loss of life. Car crashes are 
the leading killer of all children.
  Please join me in supporting this important resolution. I urge all of 
my colleagues to talk with their families and friends about the 
importance of wearing safety belts. Let's encourage all drivers and 
passengers to insist that their fellow automobile passengers buckle up 
and that all children are secured in the appropriate child safety 
seats.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 
166.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________