[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 49 (Monday, March 31, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING GENERAL MOTORS FOR WINNING RICHARD H. AUSTIN LONG-TERM TRAFFIC 
                              SAFETY AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 31, 2008

  Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, earlier this month, the Michigan 
Governor's Traffic Safety Advisory Commission announced that the 
General Motors Corporation will receive the Richard H. Austin Long-Term 
Traffic Safety Award, ``for being a corporate and auto industry leader 
in promoting traffic safety issues,'' in the State and nationally. The 
award was presented at the group's annual awards luncheon on March 13, 
2008, in East Lansing, Michigan.
  This prestigious award is named after a true leader in traffic 
safety, the late Richard H. Austin, who served as Michigan Secretary of 
State from 1971 to 1994. Secretary Austin, who was known as, ``Mr. 
Traffic Safety,'' was a pioneer in promoting passage of State seat belt 
use laws and in promoting measures for child passenger safety, drunken 
driving prevention, and motorcycle safety.
  The commission's announcement notes that GM, ``has made significant 
contributions in addressing key traffic safety concerns including 
safety belt use, child passenger safety in and around vehicles and 
drunk driving through partnerships and collaboration, advocacy, 
financial support and voluntary time commitments to traffic safety 
organizations by company executives and employees.''
  The announcement states that when, ``efforts were underway to upgrade 
Michigan's seat belt law from a secondary to a primary law, GM led the 
collaborative efforts,'' to support it. I am pleased to note that as a 
result of this upgraded law Michigan has one of the highest State belt 
use rates in the Nation at 94 percent.
  Among the other specific activities for which GM is being recognized 
is its Safe Kids Buckle Up partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide. Under 
this program, child safety seats are checked by trained experts for 
proper installation; safety seats are provided to families in need; and 
education is provided to help assure that children are not left alone 
in vehicles and they are not allowed to play in trunks. Further, adults 
learn to walk around a parked vehicle to check for children before they 
start the engine and children are taught that it is never safe to play 
in driveways, parking lots or on sidewalks when vehicles are nearby.
  There are 25 Safe Kids coalitions and chapters in Michigan, and, over 
the last 10 years under the GM-Safe Kids program, approximately 45,000 
child safety seats in the State have been inspected and another 13,500 
have been provided to families in need free of charge. In addition, 
several permanent child seat inspection stations have been set up, run 
by Safe Kids, and four mobile car seat checkup vans donated by GM are 
operating in the State.
  Madam Speaker, I have had the opportunity to witness the work of Safe 
Kids Flint, which is part of the Hurley Medical Center. The dedicated 
men and women who work at these events volunteer a significant amount 
of their time and talent to assure that children are riding safely in 
vehicles, and they provide very valuable information to parents. Safe 
Kids Flint has reported that 19 lives have been saved after families 
who attended one of the organization's events were involved in crashes.
  I am pleased to join in congratulating General Motors for this 
recognition of its exceptional corporate citizenship in working to 
protect the citizens of Michigan through the Safe Kids partnership and 
many other safety activities.

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