[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 10026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       BUCKLE UP AND DRIVE SAFELY

  (Mr. CUMMINGS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National 
Transportation Week to discuss the safety of our Nation's children. As 
a father of a four-year-old, this issue hits home for me.
  I am a strong advocate of child passenger safety laws, but sadly, not 
all of America's drivers are. Listen to the statistics. Each year, 
1,800 children ages 14 and under are killed. More than 280,000 are 
injured. An average of 24 children 10 years and under die every week. 
Why is this happening? We are not protecting our children. Six out of 
10, or 60 percent, of the children who die in automobile crashes are 
unrestrained. No seat belt, no car seat.
  Mr. Speaker, the law is clear. All children must be buckled up at all 
times. As parents and drivers, let us demonstrate a commitment to 
protecting our youth. I urge my colleagues to buckle up and travel 
safely.

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