Group seeks entries for child art contest on truck, bus safety belts

Washington – The Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership is accepting submissions for the "Be Ready. Be Buckled." children’s contest, looking for the best artwork that encourages commercial truck and bus drivers to buckle up behind the wheel.

The contest is open to children in kindergarten through sixth grade who have a relative or are sponsored by someone in the truck and bus industries. The partnership, which is a combination of government transportation safety agencies, professional associations and private-sector entities, conducts the annual contest in an effort to educate children about highway safety.

Entries are due by Feb. 28, 2014. Twelve contest winners will be announced in March and featured in the 2015 calendar. The 2014 calendar currently is available online.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40 percent of the 697 large-truck occupants killed in a crash in 2012 were not wearing a safety belt.