May 4, 2010

Washington, D.C. - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro went to Capitol Hill to congratulate the student winners of the "Be Ready, Be Buckled" poster contest and deliver an important safety message on Monday, May 3, 2010.

"From the delivery of vital goods to taking our children to and from school, commercial trucks and buses are important to our way of life. But there is nothing more important than safety. Commercial drivers owe it to themselves, their families and others to wear a safety belt every time they get behind the wheel," said FMCSA Administrator Ferro.

The "Be Ready, Be Buckled" poster contest asked students to create posters that stress the importance of commercial truck and bus drivers using their safety belts. Contest entries were divided into two age categories: kindergarten through second grade and third through sixth grades. Vijeyta Revankar, a second grader from Seabrook, Texas was the winner of the younger category and Adam Carr, a sixth grader from Tampa, Florida won for the older group.

Each winner received a $100 savings bond provided by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).

"It's exciting to see our nation's students involved in an issue that affects so many. Congratulations to our winners and all the students who participated in this year's contest! Let's keep up the good work and spread the word that safety belts save lives," said FMCSA Administrator Ferro.

The "Be Ready, Be Buckled" poster contest is sponsored by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership, which includes the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and over 20 other government agencies and organizations committed to commercial truck and bus safety. To learn more about the "Be Ready, Be Buckled" contest, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

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