JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced a lifesaving partnership between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and Landstar System, Inc. (Nasdaq: LSTR), to promote a nationwide seat belt program.

"This new partnership will encourage safe driving on our roads and help reduce the number of traffic fatalities," said Secretary Mineta. "With the help of Landstar, we will be able to better promote our "Click It Or Ticket" program to increase seat belt use. This is especially important during the peak Thanksgiving holiday travel season."

Landstar, a large motor carrier, will help increase seat belt use by posting "Click It Or Ticket" campaign advertisements on tractor-trailers.

Landstar will equip 2,000 newly manufactured 53-foot trailers with the "Click It Or Ticket" message that will be seen in the 50 States, Canada, and Mexico. According to an American Trucking Associations study, 91 percent of people polled said they noticed advertisements mounted on the side or rear of large trucks, and 35 percent study them closely. Landstar will also conduct in-house training programs on the importance of seat belt use.

"In addition to saving their own lives, those who buckle up minimize the danger to others on the road," said Landstar Chairman and CEO Jeff Crowe. "Safety is paramount to the success of those who drive for a living and to the movement of goods across the country. Landstar urges everyone to buckle up."

The month of November will mark the beginning of the national "Click It Or Ticket"/Operation ABC (America Always Buckles Up Children) Seat Belt Law Enforcement Mobilization, Nov. 25 through Dec. 1. Florida and communities throughout the country will participate. During that time, more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies will be monitoring traffic and issuing tickets. Officers coast-to-coast will blanket the road with checkpoints and stepped up enforcement of seat belt and child restraint laws.

Last year in the U.S., motor vehicle crashes claimed the lives of 42,116 individuals. NHTSA estimates that in the same year 12,144 lives were saved by seat belts. Some people buckle up for safety, but for many people it is the threat of a ticket that encourages them to wear their seat belt. Recent "Click It Or Ticket" high-visibility enforcement mobilizations have led to increased seat belt use.

     U.S. Department of Transportation
     www.dot.gov/briefing.htm
     NHTSA 70-02

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SOURCE Landstar System, Inc. and U.S. Department of Transportation