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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Chuck Hurley
Aired May 17, 2003 - 09:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Everybody knows buckling up saves lives, but not everybody is doing it, of course. Now the Transportation Department is making a big push to increase seatbelt use. A captive audience, so to speak, targets men watching sports programs with a public service ad.
For more, we are joined now by CNN's Kathleen Koch. Morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Anderson.
We're in another spot where we thought we might find a few men on a Saturday morning, outside of a hardware store. And, you know, national statistics show that, sadly, about a quarter of the people pulling into this parking lot this morning are not wearing their safety belts, though they know it could save their lives in an accident.
And that's why, as you pointed out, the Transportation Department, a lot of safety organizations, are kicking off a get-tough safety ad campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT)
ANNOUNCER: From coast to coast, starting May 19, if you don't click it, expect a ticket. Cops write tickets because seat belts save lives. So click it, or ticket.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, with me is Chuck Hurley, the vice president of the National Safety Council.
Tell me, who are you targeting in particular with these ads, young men?
CHUCK HURLEY, NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL: Well, the ads are particularly targeted at young men 18 to 34, because they're the least likely to buckle up and the most likely to be in crashes.
KOCH: How bad are their buckling rates?
HURLEY: In fatal crashes, teenagers only have a 36 percent belt use rate, 23 percent for their teen passengers.
KOCH: Now, let's talk a little bit about new improvements in seat belt technologies. It's big -- groups like this are doing their best to get people to buckle up. Detroit is trying to make seat belts safer. This is a new 2002 vehicle. And, Chuck, tell us about the improvements in pretensioners of load limiters that are in this car.
HURLEY: Well, the seat belt is the most important safety device in the car, and this is a new technology to make it even better. The pretensioner in the belt really tightens the belt, makes it even more effective. The force-limiting nature of the belt gives some -- a little give in the belt, which, in combination with the airbag, is the best protection available.
KOCH: Now, another's change, we'll step to the back seat, Chuck, and take a look at something that, for many drivers, is going to be new in their vehicle, and that's the fact that in this particular car, as in some new cars today, you have got, instead of just a lap belt in that center seat, you've got a shoulder belt.
HURLEY: Well, the shoulder belt does provide additional protection for the center seat rear passenger. That's an important advance. Made it a little tougher to get the car seats in correctly, but an important advance for adults.
KOCH: Chuck, thanks very much.
And again, that's something that Congress mandated, that by, in a law passed in November, that by 2008, all vehicles will have to have that three-point seat belt in the back in the center, saving a lot of lives.
Back to you, Anderson.
COOPER: Kathleen Koch, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 17, 2003 - 09:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Everybody knows buckling up saves lives, but not everybody is doing it, of course. Now the Transportation Department is making a big push to increase seatbelt use. A captive audience, so to speak, targets men watching sports programs with a public service ad.
For more, we are joined now by CNN's Kathleen Koch. Morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Anderson.
We're in another spot where we thought we might find a few men on a Saturday morning, outside of a hardware store. And, you know, national statistics show that, sadly, about a quarter of the people pulling into this parking lot this morning are not wearing their safety belts, though they know it could save their lives in an accident.
And that's why, as you pointed out, the Transportation Department, a lot of safety organizations, are kicking off a get-tough safety ad campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT)
ANNOUNCER: From coast to coast, starting May 19, if you don't click it, expect a ticket. Cops write tickets because seat belts save lives. So click it, or ticket.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, with me is Chuck Hurley, the vice president of the National Safety Council.
Tell me, who are you targeting in particular with these ads, young men?
CHUCK HURLEY, NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL: Well, the ads are particularly targeted at young men 18 to 34, because they're the least likely to buckle up and the most likely to be in crashes.
KOCH: How bad are their buckling rates?
HURLEY: In fatal crashes, teenagers only have a 36 percent belt use rate, 23 percent for their teen passengers.
KOCH: Now, let's talk a little bit about new improvements in seat belt technologies. It's big -- groups like this are doing their best to get people to buckle up. Detroit is trying to make seat belts safer. This is a new 2002 vehicle. And, Chuck, tell us about the improvements in pretensioners of load limiters that are in this car.
HURLEY: Well, the seat belt is the most important safety device in the car, and this is a new technology to make it even better. The pretensioner in the belt really tightens the belt, makes it even more effective. The force-limiting nature of the belt gives some -- a little give in the belt, which, in combination with the airbag, is the best protection available.
KOCH: Now, another's change, we'll step to the back seat, Chuck, and take a look at something that, for many drivers, is going to be new in their vehicle, and that's the fact that in this particular car, as in some new cars today, you have got, instead of just a lap belt in that center seat, you've got a shoulder belt.
HURLEY: Well, the shoulder belt does provide additional protection for the center seat rear passenger. That's an important advance. Made it a little tougher to get the car seats in correctly, but an important advance for adults.
KOCH: Chuck, thanks very much.
And again, that's something that Congress mandated, that by, in a law passed in November, that by 2008, all vehicles will have to have that three-point seat belt in the back in the center, saving a lot of lives.
Back to you, Anderson.
COOPER: Kathleen Koch, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
