"Do The Buckle" Celebrates One Year of Automotive Safety Education

DaimlerChrysler's Safety Tour Marks its Anniversary at 1999 New York International Auto Show

New York, NY -- The Do the Buckle safety tour returns to the New York Auto Show, one year after its launch, to highlight the program's success and stress the importance of traveling safely with children. In the past year, DaimlerChrysler's safety tour has traveled more than 280,000 miles, attended 1,500 events, and reached millions of children and adults with air bag and safety belt guidelines through lively demonstrations and the Do the Buckle music video.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. In 1997, an average of seven children, 0-14 years old, were killed and 908 were injured in motor vehicle crashes every day. Safety experts believe more than 60 percent of those children were not properly restrained.

During the New York Auto Show, DaimlerChrysler's Do the Buckle team will demonstrate the importance of vehicle restraint systems through an interactive display, hands-on exhibits and an MTV-style music video. The program's theme song and video show kids it's "cool" to wear safety belts correctly. The dance in the video incorporates the motion a person makes when they buckle a safety belt.

"Every hour someone dies in America simply because they didn't wear a safety belt," said Robert J. Eaton, DaimlerChrysler Chairman. "Safety belts are the most effective means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries, and sadly, many Americans aren't using them. We work hard to build safe cars, trucks and minivans, but even the best safety devices will not work if they are not used correctly."

The Do the Buckle display is located in the Chrysler/Plymouth exhibit area. The safety team will be available throughout the public days of the show to demonstrate how vehicle restraint systems work, talk about driver and occupant safety, provide instruction on the proper installation of child safety seats, and present the Do the Buckle music video.

If you would like to learn more about Do the Buckle or would like a minivan to visit a particular venue, call 1-877-TOBUCKY.