See unbuckled kids? Call seat belt hot line

'Zero tolerance for unbuckled kids' is the slogan on this banner attached to the back of a van in Washington, D.C.

Effort aims to warn 'deadbeat drivers'

May 22, 2000
Web posted at: 4:52 p.m. EDT (2052 GMT)

From CNN's Kate Snow

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Safety Council on Monday announced a one-week nationwide effort to identify and warn so-called "deadbeat drivers" who break the law by leaving children unbuckled in vehicles.

Through May 29, people who notice an unbelted child can call a national hot line and leave a message about the vehicle or a name and address of someone they have seen routinely allowing their children to ride without seat belts.

	MESSAGE BOARD
Rules of the road

The hot line number is 1-800-764-5755.

"People tell us all the time how frustrated and powerless they feel when they see an unbuckled child riding in a car," NSC President Gerard Scannell said in a news release. "This week, by calling the council's toll-free hot line, there is something they can do to help children in danger."

Drivers identified on the hot line will receive a letter in the mail warning them about the dangers of letting children ride unrestrained. They will not receive a citation, and the NSC says it will not share their names or addresses with law enforcement agencies.

However, police around the country do plan to step up enforcement of child seat belt laws this week. The crackdown is timed to coincide with Memorial Day, the traditional start of the summer driving season.

Listen to Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater encouraging people to buckle up their children ( 217 K/20 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

All 50 states have laws requiring that children in passenger cars be restrained, but the exact provisions differ from state to state. In 17 states and the District of Columbia, drivers can be pulled over for not wearing a seat belt.

The "deadbeat" hot line is part of the safety council's annual Operation ABC (America Buckles Up Children) Mobilization. In past years the program has led to a decline in child fatalities, the council says.

The hot line does not infringe on anyone's right to privacy, according to Scannell, who says similar hot lines have been tried in more than a dozen states and localities.

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National Safety Council
  •  Operation ABC Mobilization
  •  News release

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