Some lessons are best learned by example. That’s why the Ford
Motor Company is
donating a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT pickup to the Occupant Safety
Education Program.

The truck will be converted to a mobile exhibit to show what
happens to unbuckled
passengers in rollover crashes.

Randall Townley heads the seat belt program for the University
of Georgia Extension
Service. He said the truck will graphically show the value of
safety belts.

“We’ve seen similar exhibits convince people to use safety
belts,” Townley said. “We
plan to tow the truck to safety education events all over
Georgia.”

The gift comes at a key time for Georgia drivers and passengers.
With support from the
Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the statewide education
effort is working. It
helps Georgians make healthy choices with safety belts and child
safety seats.

“A decade ago, only 20 percent of Georgians used safety belts,”
Townley said. “In
1996, that figure was 62 percent. Child safety seat use is up to
70 percent.”

Throughout the country, the lowest belt-use rates are among teen-
agers. The converted
truck will be part of a new effort to target Georgia teens and
adults. The program is
based on a successful pilot program in Tennessee.

Robert Cucchi, the regional governmental affairs director for
Ford, worked with the
Extension Service to arrange for the donation.

“We at Ford have long been committed to safe vehicle design,”
Cucchi said. “We’re
proud to support this effort to educate all drivers, and
especially teens. We want them
to learn about the proper use of the safety equipment in today’s
vehicles.”

The Occupant Safety Education Program is a state clearinghouse
for questions on safety
belts, air bags and child safety seats. Call 1-800-342-9819 for
more information.