As an active member of the Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Safety Belt Partnership, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) attended the 2015 “Be Ready. Be Buckled.” student art contest award ceremony at the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2015.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx honored the two elementary school students who won top honors in the 2015 safety belt art contest – fourth grader Heather Li of Orlando, Florida, and second grader Julia Ou of Livingston, New Jersey. Both artists received framed replicas of their artwork plus a monetary award courtesy of the CMV Safety Belt Partnership.
“Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated in this contest and promoted driver safety throughout the United States,” said Secretary Foxx. “Seatbelts save lives, but only if they are used. ‘Be Ready. Be Buckled.’ reminds all of us to always buckle up.”
Since 2007, overall safety belt use for commercial drivers has steadily increased each year from 65 percent to a current high of 84 percent.
“It is especially important for large truck and bus drivers to buckle up in order to stay in control of their vehicles, and be ready for unforeseen circumstances,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Chief Counsel Scott Darling. “We continue to put out friendly reminders to all drivers that something as simple as fastening your safety belt can be the determining factor that saves your life.”
“Too many truck and bus drivers are killed or injured because they are not buckled up. It is the single most important safety device in protecting vehicle occupants,” said CVSA Executive Director Stephen A. Keppler. “We encourage the continued education of drivers and motor carriers on the life-saving value of these devices as well as aggressive enforcement against those who fail to buckle up.”
The annual “Be Ready. Be Buckled.” student art contest is organized by the CMV Safety Belt Partnership, which includes CVSA, FMCSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and 30 other government agencies and private organizations. The contest is open to students in kindergarten through sixth grade who have a sponsor in commercial truck and bus industries.
The following is a list of the 12 students whose artwork will be featured in the 2016 Be Ready. Be Buckled. art contest calendar which will be released in fall 2015:
- Heather Li – Age 9 from Orlando, Florida
- Julia Ou – Age 7 from Livingston, New Jersey
- Silvy Zhou – Age 11 from Florham Park, New Jersey
- Rachel Xin – Age 8 from Brook, New Jersey
- Victoria Zhang – Age 6 from Edison, New Jersey
- Meghan Li – Age 6 from Orlando, Florida
- Jessie Chen – Age 6 from Brunswick, New Jersey
- Keya Raval – Age 10 from Edison, New Jersey
- Zanda Garcia – Age 12 from Kingville, Texas
- Audrey Su – Age 11 from Homdel, New Jersey
- Noah Sommo – Age 8 from Metuchen, New Jersey
- Kelly Lu – Age 6 from Hanover, New Jersey
To learn more about the “Be Ready, Be Buckled.” art contest, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safetybelt.