PRINTER'S NO. 1731
No. 176 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY WATSON, ADOLPH, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, BARD,
BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF,
BROWNE, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPABIANCA, CAPPELLI, CIVERA,
CLYMER, L. I. COHEN, M. COHEN, COLEMAN, CORRIGAN, COSTA,
CRUZ, DALEY, DALLY, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, DIVEN, DONATUCCI,
J. EVANS, FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FRANKEL, GEIST,
GEORGE, GODSHALL, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERMAN,
HERSHEY, HUTCHINSON, LAUGHLIN, LESCOVITZ, MAITLAND, MAJOR,
MANDERINO, MANN, MARSICO, McCALL, McGILL, McILHATTAN,
McNAUGHTON, MELIO, R. MILLER, MYERS, PICKETT, PIPPY,
READSHAW, ROONEY, ROSS, SAMUELSON, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR,
SCHRODER, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK,
SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, J. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO,
C. WILLIAMS, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, WRIGHT AND YOUNGBLOOD,
APRIL 30, 2001
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 30, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of May 21 through 28, 2001, as "Buckle Up
2 America Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, The first goal of traffic safety and occupant
4 protection is to increase Statewide seat belt use from 69.69% to
5 73% by the year 2002; and
6 WHEREAS, The second goal is to reduce the improper use of
7 child safety seats by 20% by the year 2002 from the currently
8 estimated rate of 80%; and
9 WHEREAS, In 1999, 53.3% of the deaths from traffic crashes
10 resulted from failure to wear a seat belt or be properly
11 restrained; and
1 WHEREAS, Improper seat belt use increases the chance of
2 ejection from a vehicle and injury or death in a traffic crash;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, It is estimated that 100% seat belt use throughout
5 this Commonwealth would save 350 lives annually; and
6 WHEREAS, Economic loss in this Commonwealth due to traffic
7 crashes in 1999 was more than $12 billion or approximately
8 $1,022 for every man, woman and child in this Commonwealth; and
9 WHEREAS, With 100% seat belt use in 1999 there would have
10 been an estimated economic savings of more than $2.6 billion or
11 $220 for every man, woman and child, and more importantly, an
12 estimated 441 lives would have been saved; and
13 WHEREAS, Traditionally the summer season, Memorial Day
14 through Labor Day, has meant more people using highways and
15 roads, which is the reason for conducting the "Buckle Up
16 America" campaign during this time; and
17 WHEREAS, There is additional law enforcement emphasis on
18 stopping all vehicles where a child under four years of age is
19 not properly restrained in a child safety seat as required by
20 State law; and
21 WHEREAS, All children through 12 years of age should be
22 restrained in the back seat of a vehicle where forces in a crash
23 are less than in the front passenger seat; and
24 WHEREAS, The first mandatory seat belt use law was enacted in
25 New York in 1984, and as of December 1999, 49 states and the
26 District of Columbia have had seat belt use laws in effect; and
27 WHEREAS, The first mandatory child restraint use law was
28 implemented in Tennessee in 1978, and since 1985 all 50 states
29 and the District of Columbia have had child restraint laws in
30 effect; and
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1 WHEREAS, Research has shown that lap belts and shoulder
2 safety belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal
3 injury to front-seat passenger-car occupants by 45% and reduce
4 the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 65%; and
5 WHEREAS, Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats
6 has shown that the proper installation and use of child safety
7 seats reduces fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for
8 toddlers in passenger cars, and for infants and toddlers in
9 light trucks the corresponding reductions are 58% and 59%; and
10 WHEREAS, Operation TEACH is a national program used in this
11 Commonwealth by law enforcement officers to Teach Every American
12 CHild - TO BUCKLE UP; and
13 WHEREAS, The initiative to improve seat belt use is sponsored
14 by the Department of Transportation, the National Highway
15 Traffic Safety Administration, county and regional highway
16 safety directors and local police departments across this
17 Commonwealth; and
18 WHEREAS, Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for
19 children, and failure to buckle up contributes to more
20 fatalities than any other single traffic safety-related
21 behavior; therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
23 week of May 21 through 28, 2001, as "Buckle Up America Week" in
24 Pennsylvania and urge all Pennsylvanians to buckle up when
25 operating a motor vehicle and use child safety seats properly.
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