Billy Ray Apologizes for Not Buckling Up

Originally posted Wednesday February 13, 2008 02:10 PM EST

Miley Cyrus and father Billy Ray Cyrus are admitting they goofed.

"We got caught up in the moment of filming, and we made a mistake and forgot to buckle our seatbelts," Billy Ray Cyrus tells PEOPLE about a gaffe in the hit 3-D movie Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour – one that's caused a head-on collision with controversy.

"Seatbelt safety is extremely important," he adds.

Editors at Consumer Reports took issue with a scene in the film in which Miley and her dad are "riding in the back seat of a Range Rover on the way to rehearsal for the concert tour. Neither was wearing a seat belt," said a posting on the magazine's blog.

"Why should we care?" the posting continued. "Because, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in about 55 percent of passenger vehicle fatalities in 2006 (the latest data available), the occupants were not wearing seat belts. Even worse, in the 13- to 15-year-old age group, that percentage climbs to 65 percent."

Observed Consumer Reports: "It seems to us that Miley, her father, and Disney had a perfect opportunity to help influence teens and counteract – rather than encourage – this trend. Then again, as Hannah herself sings, 'Everybody makes mistakes.' "