[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11330]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           DORI SLOSBERG AND KATIE MARCHETTI SAFETY BELT LAW

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT WEXLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2009

  Mr. WEXLER. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
the Florida Legislature for passing the Dori Slosberg and Katie 
Marchetti Safety Belt Law yesterday, a law giving police the power to 
stop motorists for not wearing seat belts. I believe this law is a 
great step forward in the effort to reduce the numbers of tragic deaths 
and injuries throughout Florida and should serve as an example for 
other state governments to follow in ensuring all Americans are safer 
on our roads.
  This measure was long championed by Irv Slosberg, a former state 
representative from Boca Raton whose 14-year-old daughter, Dori, was 
killed in a 1996 car crash on Palmetto Park Road. This accident claimed 
the lives of five teens and left four others, including Dori's twin 
sister, with serious injuries. It is unfortunate that such a tragedy 
needed to occur for people in our community to take notice of the need 
to amend the law to ensure people are wearing their seat belts, but Irv 
Slosberg deserves a tremendous amount of praise for his dedication to 
ensuring other families do not suffer from such a tragedy.
  Along with his efforts in the Florida State House to introduce this 
bill, Irv Slosberg also introduced the Dori Slosberg Driver Education 
Safety Act, which became law in Florida in 2002 and allows Florida 
counties to fund driver education programs by adding a surcharge to 
traffic tickets. In addition, recognizing that teen traffic crashes are 
the number one cause of death in Florida, Irv Slosberg also founded the 
Dori Slosberg Foundation, with a mission statement to educate the 
public about the importance of traffic safety; promote the usage of 
safe driving habits, especially seat belt compliance and proper child 
restraint devices; support and advance driver's education programs 
nationwide; assist the Florida Department of Transportation to ensure a 
safe driving environment on our roadways; and distribute tools to both 
teens and seniors to help them drive safely. These initiatives, along 
with his personal dedication to the issue of road safety, have no doubt 
saved and will continue to save countless lives in our community.
  As a co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety, I 
understand the impact road crashes have on the global community, and 
while we must continue to work to establish protocols with nations 
around the world to reduce the number of road deaths and injuries 
globally, we must also set an example here in the United States by 
passing laws to ensure safety belts, which have been credited with 
saving countless lives since they were made standard in U.S. 
automobiles in 1968, are being used by all who get behind the wheel, 
especially our children.
  I want to once again congratulate the Florida Legislature for passing 
this bill, and I look forward to Governor Charlie Crist's signing this 
into law in the near future. I also want to once again extend my 
appreciation for Irv Slosberg's efforts, both while he served in the 
Florida Legislature and as a member of the South Florida community, to 
ensure our loved ones remain safe on the roads.

                          ____________________