---

Campaign Makes Wearing A Safety Belt 'Cool' For Kids

14 October 1998

'Do The Buckle' Campaign Makes Wearing A Safety Belt 'Cool' For Kids

        Chrysler Minivans Travel the Country With Life-Saving Messages

    BOSTON, Oct. 14 -- We've heard it for years -- "Safety belts
save lives!"  So, why don't more Americans buckle up?  It's a problem Chrysler
Corporation addresses with a new multi-million dollar campaign aimed at
reminding kids and people of all ages it's "cool" to "Do the Buckle."
    Featuring a fleet of 10 brightly colored Chrysler minivans, the "Do the
Buckle" safety tour will travel a minimum of 300,000 miles reaching more than
45 million people while visiting schools, community centers, auto shows,
shopping malls and other public venues.  A two-person team travels in each
minivan and performs on-site safety demonstrations and experiments.  A "Do the
Buckle" minivan will be in Boston on Wednesday, October 14, giving a safety
presentation at Boston Children's Hospital (ER) from 12 - 4 p.m.  "Every hour
someone dies in America simply because they didn't wear a safety belt," said
Richard Thorpe, a "Do the Buckle" safety manager in Boston.
    "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
don't work if they are not used and used correctly."
    The program's theme song, dance and video, "Do the Buckle," play off the
tune and lyrics from the '70s hit "Do the Hustle" and incorporate the motion a
person makes as they reach over their shoulder and across their torso to
buckle a safety belt.  In the video, Bucky, a lively, animated character,
comes to life to help people of all ages understand the importance of safety
belts.  The video also features an introduction by Bill Nye, the star of the
weekly Disney production "Bill Nye the Science Guy," and Robert J. Eaton.
    The exterior of the minivans features colorful graphics and a variety of
safety messages.  The interior is equipped with a monitor for viewing the "Do
the Buckle" music video and other safety videos.
    A number of safety-minded companies are supporting the campaign including
Takata Inc., a manufacturer of safety belts, ITT Automotive, a manufacturer of
antilock brake systems, and Autoliv, a manufacturer of air bags.
    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
an estimated 5,500 lives could be saved each year by increasing the level of
safety belt usage in the United States to 90 percent.  Yet, only 68 percent of
Americans wear safety belts.  By contrast, Germany stands at 95 percent.  "Do
the Buckle" is the second phase of Chrysler's successful consumer education
outreach, and supports President Clinton's recent plan to increase safety belt
usage to 90 percent by 2005.
    Chrysler minivans were the first to meet all 1998 passenger car safety
standards, the first to provide driver and passenger air bags, and the first
with integrated, or built-in, child safety seats.
    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.