For immediate release
Volvo For Life and Buckle Up For Safety Campaigns Launch Seat Belt Safety Awareness and Car Sweepstakes
IRVINE, CA., Dec. 13, 2001 - Volvo Cars North America, LLC, The Edward Davis Education Foundation, On Wheels, Inc. and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have joined forces to promote automobile seat belt usage within the African-American and Latino communities.
The statistics for the use of seat belts with the African American and Latino communities are alarming. To bring attention to this important issue, the national Buckle Up For Safety! campaign calls for both ethnic groups nationwide to buckle up. The Buckle Up For Safety! campaign will be in New York City at the world's largest celebration of African American Culture & Cooperative Economics: Kwanzaa Fest - December 14 - 16 - Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Featured at the vehicle safety booth will be the 2002 Volvo S80 Sedan, recently voted one of the five safest cars of all-time by insure.com. Buckle Up For Safety will offer demonstrations and information about seat belt safety usage. In addition, a Child Passenger Safety Technician will demo the proper use of car seats, or booster seats with young children.
During the year-long Volvo For Life and Buckle Up For Safety campaign, booth visitors across the nation will be able to enter a sweepstakes to win a 2002 Volvo S80 sedan. Kwanzaa Fest attendees can also enter a raffle to win a child's car seat.
"Volvo is well-recognized for its concern for safety - it's a core value of the company," said Gregory Dixon, manager of CRM, Volvo Cars North American LLC. "We are committed to heightening the awareness and importance of wearing seat belts, and are therefore pleased to be part of this important multicultural campaign."
Randi Payton, EDEF Founder and President, adds, "This joint partnership is a major initiative that will further support our goal to reduce needless automotive-related injuries, one of the top ten killers of African Americans."
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for African Americans through the age of 14 and the second leading cause of death for African Americans between the ages of 15 and 24.
The "Buckle Up For Safety!/Volvo For Life" campaign was launched in 2000 by Volvo to educate ethnic minorities on seat belt safety, in an effort to help the EDEF and NHTSA change those statistics. Volvo is a recognized leader in vehicle safety. For information about the Buckle Up For Safety campaign, visit www.onwheelsinc.com.
EDEF is the nonprofit educational arm of On Wheels, Inc. EDEF's mission is to promote diversity by creating opportunities for African Americans in the auto industry. Through its educational workshops and community events, positive relationships are fostered between the automotive industry and the African-American community. EDEF's national seatbelt safety initiative is part of the federally funded Buckle Up America! campaign.
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA), is an affiliate of Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group based in Irvine, CA. And, is a subsidiary of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2002. VCNA provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to Volvo automobile retailers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
In addition to the flagship S80 luxury sedan, the 2002 Volvo automobile line includes the sporty S60 and the new S60 AWD, the versatile V70 wagon and rugged Cross Country, C70 Coupe and convertible, and the compact S40 and V40 models.
For More Information, Contact:
Roger Ormisher
800.970.0888
VP, Public Affairs, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
Volvo Media Website:
V2001- 51
