GM Promotes Buckling Up for Safety
Partners with Michigan Highway Safety Planning on safety belt campaign
(3BL Media) Detroit, MI - May 30, 2012 - General Motors is partnering with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning through its “Click It or Ticket” campaign to encourage safety belt use in vehicles. The awareness program, which runs through June 3, strives to increase safety belt use rates through publicized enforcement zones.
Following Michigan’s record-high safety belt use rate of 97.9 percent in 2009, it dropped to 94.5 percent in 2011. That year, nearly 200 people who died in traffic crashes were not using safety belts.
“Every 1 percent increase in safety belt usage means 10 fewer traffic deaths and 130 fewer injuries,” said Gay Kent, GM executive director of vehicle safety. “The numbers indicate the importance of buckling up – it saves lives.”
GM has long record of safety firsts in the U.S. including active head restraints, frontal air bags, side-impact air bags that reduce the risk of injury to children and rear seat 3-point safety belts. Starting with the 2004 model year, the company began implementing enhanced belt reminder systems in its vehicles. These reminders were rolled out to all GM vehicles by the 2008 model year.
“When worn properly, the risk of being killed in an automobile crash is reduced by 45 percent,” said Kent. “Beginning with our employees, we strive to set an example for others by wearing our safety belts at all times, refraining from texting while driving, and, in general, exhibiting safe driving habits.”
Additionally, during the Click It or Ticket campaign OnStar Advisors will remind drivers who press the blue OnStar button to fasten their safety belt.
Michigan law requires all drivers and passengers 15 and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are eight years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall.
A list of planned safety belt enforcement zones is available at www.michigan.gov/ohsp.
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.
