AUGUST 2005

Conference Special - See Details Inside

Front Page

Page 2

President

Sharon Pauls

22 Coach Street

Hampton, VA  23664

Work: (757) 868-7123

Home: (757) 851-7243

E-mail:  spauls@phs.poquoson.k12.va.us

Past-President

Gary Hutson

P.O. Box 2222

Staunton, VA 24402

Work: (540) 324-0111

Home: (540) 885-1179

E-mail: ghutson@ntelos.net

President-Elect

Richard Wharam

2002 Jefferson Ct.

Charlottesville, VA  22911

Work: (434) 975-9451

rwharam@albemarle.org

Secretary-Treasurer

Joanne Carr Burruss

3783 Carr Lane

Hayes, VA 23072

Work: (757) 886-7775

Home: (804) 684-9240                                                              

E-mail:  joanne.burruss@nn.k12.va.us

Newsletter Editor

Belinda Langston

12465 Warwick Blvd.

Newport News, VA 23606

Work: (757) 591-4601

E-mail: belinda.langston@nn.k12.va.us

Executive Director

Dick Tyson                                                                                  

12465 Warwick Blvd.

Newport News, VA  23606                                                        

(757) 591-4603                                                                           

E-mail:  dick.tyson@nn.k12.va.us                                                          

VA. Dept. of Education                                                               

Vanessa C. Wigand                                                                   

P.O. Box 2120                                                                             

Richmond, VA 23218-2120

(804) 225-3300

FAX: (804) 786-5466

E-mail:  vwigand@mail.vak12ed.edu

Dept. of Motor Vehicles                                                            

Carol Cooper Waller

2300 West Broad St.                                                                 

Richmond, VA 23269                

(804) 367-1969

E-mail:  dmvc7w@dmv.state.va.us

 Page 3

TENTATIVE VADETS

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

2005

Page 4

A Message from your Executive Director…..

If We Get it together They Will Come, But Will They Stay?

From the shadow of our national capital to the borders of Carolina and Tennessee, and from the Southwest mountains to the Eastern Shore they will come, but will they stay?  Since the 70’s the journey has continued, not by all, but there are a few.  In this group will be first timers or second timers but mainly those that are interested in gaining additional information and knowledge about our trade.  There are others that aren’t here and possibly never have attended, but this is a gathering where we made the choice to come and learn.  This year’s VADETS Conference has a variety of presenters from all across our nation as well as a few “Home Grown” Professionals that want to share good things you can do in your Driver Education classes. 

Presenters are really teachers, just like you and me, and as we all know it takes a lot of time to organize and prepare lessons that keep people focused on the topic.  The BOARD has observed in the past that we had great attendance on Friday but come Saturday, “many did not stay.”  We are not being fair to the presenters, VADETS or ourselves when this happens.  We ask one and all to consider that what you are missing on Saturday may be information that might save a student’s life.   Sure, our curriculum is “GREAT”, but there is this thing called knowledge and change that we must keep up with to ensure we do our “BEST.”  We have gotten it together.  Many will come, and the true professional will STAY. 

Dick Tyson

Executive Director

 Page 5

ROOM RATES - $75.00 & tax

(Double Occupancy)

Conference – Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2005

Be sure you mention that you are with the VADETS Conference for special price

Page 6

VADETS STATE CONFERENCE

REGISTRATION FORM

2005

NAME _________________________________________________

ADDRESS _______________________________________________

CITY ________________________ STATE _________ ZIP _______

HOME PHONE __________________________________________

EMAIL _________________________________________________

EARLY BIRD CONFERENCE REGISTRATION                $40.00

(Must be post marked by September 16, 2005 – this will help us and save you money and time at the conference!)

AFTER SEPT. 16, 2005 or at Door                                           $75.00

Membership $20.00 (active)  _____     $150 (life)  ____

REGISTRATION                                       _______________

DUES                                               _______________

Total Enclosed for Conference           ________________

MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO:  VADETS and mail to:

                        Newport News Public Schools

VADETS

Dick Tyson, Director of Athletics & Dr. Ed.

12465 Warwick Blvd.

Newport News, VA  23606

Page 7

VADETS

POSTER, BUMPER STICKER & LICENSE PLATE CONTEST

            Once again VADETS will sponsor a Poster, Bumper Sticker and License Plate contest.  The contest will be held at the VADETS State Conference this fall.

            The theme is general traffic safety.  It is hoped that students will select issues or topics which, they feel, are important to driver education.

            Each school should conduct its own contest and teachers are responsible for sending the best five (5) in each category to the conference.

Poster Specifications:

1.      Overall poster size must be 17” x 22”.

2.      Poster must be illustrated on the VERTICAL AXIS.

3.      The student’s name, address, and school must be printed on the back of the poster.

4.      Poster themes must be original and correct in safety concept and the exclusive work of the student.

5.      Illustrations should be positive in approach and demonstrate proper traffic behaviors.

6.      Freehand drawn letters only.

7.      No limitation on the use and number of colors.

8.      Do NOT laminate posters.

9.      Poster designs may not incorporate any copyrighted characters.

Bumper Sticker Specifications:

1.      Size 15” x 4”

2.      Illustrated on HORIZONAL axis

3.      Same rules as 3-9 above

License Plate

1.      Size 12” x 6”

2.      Illustrated on HORIZONAL axis

3.      Not more than seven (7) characters

4.      Same as rules as 3-9 above except for rule 7 on seven numbers and letters

Judging Criteria:

1.      Relationship of design to safety practices

2.      Originality

3.      Artwork

4.      Visual impact of design

 Page 8

TEACHER  OF  THE  YEAR

NOMINATION FORM

Name_____________________________________________________________      

           First                          MI                      Last

Home Address_____________________________________________________

                                                             Street

          _______________________________________________________

          City               State              Zip

School/Work  Name________________________________________________

School/Work  Address_____________________________________________

                                                         Street

          _______________________________________________________

          City                State              Zip

Home Phone (____)________________Work Phone (____)_______________

Years  Organization

______VADETS

______ADTSEA

______DR. EDUC. TEACHER: FULL TIME

______DR. EDUC. TEACHER: PART TIME

______SAFETY EDUCATOR

______DR. EDUC: ADMINISTRATION

______OTHER PROFESSIONAL ORGAINZATIONS

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Please explain below why this person should be selected as

"Teacher of the Year" in Driver Education.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Superintendent, supervisor or principal must endorse this recommendation

DUE DATE:  One week prior to VADETS State Conference.

Please send or fax to:        Dick Tyson

                              Newport News Public Schools

                              12465 Warwick Blvd.

                              Newport News, VA  23606

                              (Fax)  757-591-4683

Page 9

FEBRUARY 24-25, 2006

SEA MIST OCEANFRONT RESORT

1200 South Ocean Boulevard

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577

MORE INFORMATION ON CONFERENCE WILL BE FORTHCOMING IN JANUARY 2006 

REGISTRATION FEE - $60.00

Page 10

DON’T WAIT, SEND IN TODAY!

Page 11

Page 11

Page 12 (Not available)

Page 13 (Not available)

Membership is $ 150  annually

NAME OF CORPORATION_______________________________________________________

CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE: ___________________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________

CITY_________________________________ STATE__________________ ZIP____________

WORK PHONE (____) __________________________Ext.__________

HOME PHONE (_____) __________________________

E-MAIL ____________________________________________________

FAX NUMBER (____) _________________________________________

.

Membership dues will enable you to advertise (Full page) in our VADETS Newsletter which is distributed four times each year.  You will also be able to participate in our annual state conference held in the fall of each year (September or October) and given the opportunity to set up an exhibit.

Please send check made payable to:                  VADETS

                                                                        C/o  Joanne Burruss

                                                                        3783 Carr Lane

                                                                        Hayes, VA 23072

Page 14

Endorsement Class Schedule

Page 15

                                                    Actual Excerpts From Classified Sections of

                                                                 City Newspapers

·        Illiterate?  Write today for free help.

·        Auto Repair Service.  Free pick-up and delivery.  Try us once; you’ll never go anywhere again.

·        Dog for sale:  Eats anything and is fond of children.

·        Man wanted to work in dynamite factory.  Must be willing to travel.

·        For sale:  Antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.

·        Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too.

·        We do not tear your clothing with machinery.  We do it carefully by hand.

·        Used Cars:   Why go elsewhere to be cheated?  Come here first.

·        Wanted.  Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.

·        Our bikinis are exciting.  They are simply the tops.

                                                          Adapted from quotes and jokes.com

Transportation Safety Services

                                                                      Preliminary Data                   7/26/2005

                                                     Teen Fatalities Ages 15-20                    

                                                     Time Period:   01/01/2005 to:  07/25/2005   vs.

                                                      Time Period:   01/01/2004 to:  07/25/2004

                            AGE                                     2004             2005

                               15                                            2                    3

                               16                                         12                  10

                               17                                         15                 11

                               18                                         16                    8

                               19                                         21                 11

                               20                                         18                 14

              Grand Total                                         84                 57

Page 16

Page 17

The "average" new car goes out the door for more than $22,000 -- a wad big enough to motivate any sensible person to wring as much service as possible for as long as possible out of that puppy.

If you truly want to get your money's worth out of your vehicle tack this "to-do" list on your fridge:

First, think long-term. A great many people still believe a car is getting "old" at about eight years and 75,000 to 100,000 miles -- and so they start to think about getting a new one. This is 1970s thinking -- an echo of an era when the average new car was indeed getting noticeably tired as the odometer rolled close to six figures. But today's cars are often just hitting their stride at 75,000 miles -- and have another 75,000-plus left in them, easy. Unless you're one of those people who just likes to have new stuff all the time (and there's nothing wrong with that, if you don't mind a constant car payment) there's no reason short of abuse, poor upkeep or the occasional lemon you shouldn't be able to keep on driving your new cars for many years after it's paid off -- with gas, oil and routine maintenance your only out of pocket expenses during that time.

Two, treat her nice. This is just common sense -- but then again, common sense isn't so common. Many people condemn their car to an early date with the crusher by failing to do simple things like following the service recommendations in their owner's manual to the letter -- letting oil change dates come and go, forgetting about crucial preventive maintenance such as flushing out the brake system, changing the transmission's hydraulic fluids -- and so on. The advent of so-called "long life" chemicals (engine coolant, oils, transmission fluid, etc.) and extended tune-up intervals with "100,000 mile" spark plugs, etc. doesn't mean "eternal life" -- and that's precisely what your car won't enjoy if you don't pay attention to what the manufacturer recommends be done.

Three, know how things work -- and use them as directed. Improper use of components and features will wear them out prematurely. An excellent example here is the misuse of four-wheel-drive and the two-speed transfer case -- an increasingly common feature as 4x4 SUVs and pick-up trucks have grown in popularity. Many people don't understand that leaving the transfer case in 4WD mode when driving at normal speeds on dry, paved roads (and especially going around curves at speed) will rapidly accelerate wear of the 4WD components, possibly resulting in failure of the transfer case, drive axles and other components. The selector should always be left in 2H on dry, paved roads and moved to 4High (or 4Low) only when attempting to get through heavy snow, mud -- or when driving on a rough, uneven (or gravel-surfaced) road. Read your owner's manual and become familiar with how every feature of your car or truck works, when it's supposed to be used -- and when it's not supposed to be used.

Four, keep her covered if possible. Vehicles that have to sit outside all their lives tend to deteriorate faster -- and show their age more obviously -- than cars and trucks that lead more sheltered lives. The sun beating down on a car's finish will leave it looking dull much more rapidly than would otherwise happen if the car sat inside a garage (or at least had a car cover on most of the time). The dash will fade and crack, seat fabrics wash out -- and so on. Heating and cooling cycles are also more severe when a car is subjected to the full force and effect of the outside environment. The AC has to work harder (and so will likely wear out earlier) when it has to repeatedly cool the interior off after the car has been sitting in the 100 degree sun. And it's much harder on the engine when cold-started on a 10 degree January day than it would be inside a garage that's 10-20 degrees warmer.

Five, use the clutch properly. If you drive a stick shift car, don't keep the clutch in any longer than necessary; in particular, don't hold it in while you're sitting at a light waiting for it to change. This will rapidly wear out hard-to-get-at (and thus expensive to fix) parts like the throw out bearing. Also learn to engage and disengage the clutch quickly and smoothly, without "riding" it -- or you'll be heading to the transmission shop for an early date with a big bill. Be especially gentle with your shifting on very cold days until the gear oil has had a chance to warm up a little -- which takes about 10 minutes of driving. No hard up or downshifts. If you have an automatic-equipped car, keep it in "D" and use the brakes to slow the vehicle on downhill grades (new brake pads being much cheaper than a new transmission). Always set the parking brake first before putting the gear selector in "Park" -- to avoid putting the entire weight of your vehicle on the transmission's internal "pawl" -- which can break or bin dup so tight under the load you ma not be able to get the transmission out of "Park" when you want to get going again!

Six, use the engine properly. If you drive a manual-shift car, which means always selecting the right gear for the speed you're driving -- and above all, never "lugging" the engine by failing to move down a gear when necessary, as when slowing from highway speeds to in-town speeds. Lugging the engine can cause early bearing failure and other major problems. Regardless of transmission type, avoid short duration trips that keep the engine from reaching its fully warmed state -- what engineers call "thermal equilibrium" -- and if this is not possible, change the oil and filter more frequently, in accordance with the "heavy duty" or "severe service" schedule listed in the owner's manual.

Seven, pay attention to your gauges (and warning lights). If the "check engine" light comes on, don't use electrical tape to hide it from view -- find and fix the underlying problem. Always scan your water and oil pressure gauges as you drive and make a mental note of their "usual" readings so you'll notice it immediately when one begins to indicate a potential problem developing -- for example, unusually high (or abnormally low) temperature gauge readings. Driving around obliviously while your engine overheats (or never warms up because of a stuck thermostat) will shorten your vehicle's useful life as surely as a diet of nothing but Hardee's Thick burgers will land you in the coronary care ward.

Eight, feed her right. Don't cheap out by pouring 20 gallons of unleaded regular into the tank instead of the premium called for by the designers of your car (if applicable)? While modern electronics (knock sensors) will prevent the worst from happening -- specifically, engine-killing pre-ignition ("pinging") -- use of the incorrect grade of fuel is not doing your car's engine any favors. And beware of off-brand fuels -- no matter the stated octane. These may not have the same detergent additives as name-brand gasoline -- crucial to the well-being of a modern car's fuel injection system -- and may be contaminated with water and other things you don't want in your tank. Saving a buck or two at fill-up isn't worth risking a few hundred dollars in avoidable repairs down the road -- or hastening the end of your four-wheeled friend before its time has come.

Pages 18 and 19

Pages 20 and 21 not available

2004 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment - Early Results

Early results from the 2004 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show that in 2004, for the second year in a row, the number of persons killed in the U.S. in traffic crashes declined from the year before.

Factoring in the expected increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2004, the fatality rate per 100 million VMT will be 1.46, the lowest rate ever recorded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Fatalities in alcohol-related traffic crashes also declined for the second year in a row and the proportion of traffic

fatalities that are alcohol-related hit an all-time low of 39 percent.  There were 411 fewer alcohol-related traffic fatalities,

which represents a 2.4 decline over 2003 and nearly two-thirds of the decline (269) were among fatalities that involved a BAC at 0.08 or higher, now the illegal per se limit in every State in the U.S.  For

further information, see Crash*Stats,

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2005/809897.pdf>.

National "You Drink & Drive. You Lose." Impaired Driving Crackdown A mini-planner has been prepared to support this year's "You Drink & Drive.  You Lose." Crackdown.  The mini-planner is now live and is

available at:

http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/planners/YDDYLCrackdownPlannerWeb/pages/index.htm.

It will soon be available also in Spanish.  Like last year, law enforcement agencies across the country will be

cracking down on impaired drivers.  More than 6000 law enforcement agencies have already made a commitment to participate.  NHTSA will publicize the nationwide enforcement effort with paid advertising on

TV and radio stations that reach 21-34 year old males (those at greatest risk of being involved in impaired driving crashes).  The enforcement crackdown period will take place during the two weeks leading up to the Labor Day weekend (August 19 - September 5).

Page 22

Page 23 not available

MATERIALS to complement the VIRGINIA DRIVER EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Student Workbook

Classroom sets (includes 1 answer key)

30-99 copies              

VADETS Members:  $2.00 ea.                      Non-members:  $2.50 ea.

100 or more copies

VADETS Members:  $1.75 ea.                      Non-members:  $2.25 ea.

Individual copies of the workbook

VADETS Members:  $5.00                           Non-members:  $10.00

Individual copies of the answer key

VADETS Members:  $5.00                           Non-members:  $10.00

Quizzes for each topic and tests for each module:  $20

Set of puzzles to supplement curriculum:  $10

School Site License for Quizzes, Tests & Puzzles (on CD):  $50

Name_________________________  School ___________________________

Student Workbooks _________ PowerPoint slides on VHS tape __________

Quizzes/ Tests _____   Puzzles ____ Quizzes, Tests & Puzzles on CD _____

Fax to Dick Tyson: 757.591.4683

Page 24

ON-LINE

DRIVER EDUCATION

CLASSROOM

COURSE

A State-Approved Driver Education Class is now being offered on-line for any student with parents and principal’s permission

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT….

www.vadrivered.com

Page 25

The car population is increasing 5 times as fast as the human population!

Suburban-living Americans (many of whom move away from cities for safety reasons) are more likely to be involved in commuting crashes than city inhabitants are to be mugged.

Traffic accidents kill more Americans each year than guns or illegal drugs and are the leading cause of death for Americans 2 to 24 years old.

The leading cause of death among children and young adults in this country is not disease or shootings. It is driving. Every 10 minutes, another person dies in this country due to a driving-related crash.

Everyday, people take this tremendous risk for granted. In fact, research shows that by the time a person reaches the age of 50, there is a 1 in 4 chance of being injured, a 1 in 10 chance of being hospitalized, and a 1 in 100 chance of dying, all from car accidents.

How do we understand and manage the reality of risk while we drive?

Everyone who gets behind the wheel is taking a risk.  Risk can be avoided (by not engaging in an activity or situation), mitigated (by isolating and eliminating controllable elements), or reassigned (by buying insurance), but it cannot be eliminated.

Risk Avoidance?

Not only do most Americans want to drive, they have to drive.  With limited public transportation choices and considerable distances between home and work, school or leisure activity, driving is not a luxury, but a necessity.  Risk avoidance, when it comes to driving, is simply not an option for most Americans.

Risk Mitigation?

Risk mitigation, simply put, means we are in control of the risk we accept.  If we chose to drive safely, the chances of having a crash are reduced when we follow the “rules of the road.”

Sound too simple?  Well, it is a fact that millions of crashes and tens of thousands of fatalities could have been prevented had those drivers mitigated risk by following the rules.  What more do we need to convince us to obey traffic laws?

Risk reassignment?

Determine how much risk you can afford by insuring your driving.  Teenagers are expensive to insure.  Decide whether your teen will be an occasional or principle driver?  Does your insurance company offer student discounts for good grades, premium reductions for air bags, anti-lock brakes or anti-theft devices?  There are state insurance requirements for Virginia drivers so make sure you are familiar with them when you are purchasing insurance for drivers in your household.  Check with your insurance agent for details and different options.

So what do we do for our teen drivers?

It is impossible to avoid all risk.  The best that we can do is to minimize our potential for risk.  The fact is that in the future there will be more cars and more beginning drivers on Virginia roads creating the potential for additional risk to all Virginia drivers.

How do we minimize the risk for our beginning driver?

Parents play the most important role for their teen by demonstrating responsible driving habits.

However:

• 62 percent of high school teens say their parents talk on a cell phone while driving.
• 48 percent, say their parents speed
• 31 percent say their parents don't wear a safety belt
• Nearly 60 percent of high school students say their parents are the biggest influence on their driving

Young drivers are influenced by their parents driving habits, teens say they now follow, or expect to follow, these same practices in roughly the same percentages when they become drivers:

• 62 percent of high school drivers say they talk on a cell phone while driving
• 67 percent of high school drivers say they speed.
• 33 percent of high school drivers say they do not wear their safety belt while driving.

It is not surprising then to learn:

• Nearly nine out of 10 teens describe themselves as safe drivers. Yet many engage in risky behaviors that often lead to crashes, including speeding, neglecting to use safety belts, and talking on a cell phone. What's more, many teens don't view these behaviors as dangerous, again suggesting that they believe they are safe because their parents drive the same way
• 27 percent of all high school students and 33 percent of middle school students think speeding is safe.
• 25 percent all high school students say driving without a safety belt is safe.
• 24 percent of high school students say talking on a cell phone while driving is safe.

2004 Liberty Mutual/SADD Teen Driving Study

The bottom line:

It is critical for parents to recognize their responsibility in guiding and coaching their teen during the most dangerous beginning months of driving.  By examining their own personal driving habits, self-correcting bad driving habits if necessary, and insisting on safe and responsible driving by their teen significantly reduces the possibility of risk for their teen.

Page 26 and 27

                                                        Role Models for the Road

“Teen driving and parent anxiety” 

Parents have good reasons to be anxious when their teenagers are just learning to drive.  The statistics are not good.  Beginning drivers are the most at-risk of any driver on Virginia highways.  In addition, the highways are more crowded than ever before and experts agree that there is less courtesy for others on the road.  How can parents prepare themselves for the inevitable question from their teen, “Mom?  Dad?  When can you take me down to get my learner’s permit?”

As a parent you are the one who cares most about your teenager's driving ability and safety. It's not enough for today's teenagers to learn as their parents did or to leave the job to driver education classes. The driving world they enter is far too intense to tackle without serious preparation.

The best method of handling anxiety is to have a plan that is based on knowledge of Virginia’s licensing process and strategies.  This can help you overcome your anxiety and establish your confidence while coaching your teen driver.

Virginia’s licensing process:

• Review the 40-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide available either from the public high school driver’s education teachers at your teen’s school or online from  the Virginia Department of Education link, http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/PE/40hour.pdf
• Review the Virginia Driver's Manual available from any Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles office and online at http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/citizen/drivers/vadm/vadm1.asp
• Review the Code of Virginia reference, http://adtsea.iup.edu/vadets/SELECTEDVIRGINIASTATUSRELATEDTOTHELICENSINGOFJUVENILESANDDRIVINGOFFENSE.htm

Overcoming anxiety and gaining confidence:

• Remind yourself of the importance of teaching your teenager to drive and giving him or her plenty of time to practice.
• Realize that the time spent together practicing and sharing while learning to drive can prove to be a very positive and rewarding experience for parents and teens.
• Be sure that your teen has good hand and foot coordination.
• Rely on the structured practice found in the 40-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide.
• Realize that the more you practice with your teen, the less uncomfortable you will feel.
• It's important to plan practice sessions with your teen.  Random driving around during practice sessions can be dangerous.
• Find the quietest streets possible for the initial street sessions.
• Keep track of the kinds of driving situations your teen has experienced and gradually work in new ones (for example, driving at night, in rain and/or snow, on freeways, in heavy traffic, while passing on the open highway, and so on).
• Watch for the accumulation of bad habits, such as forgetting to signal, sloppy turns, speeding, sudden changes in speed or direction, and/or inattentiveness.
• Realize that the novice driver's biggest enemy is the complacency that comes from early success at learning driving basics. The parents' role is to help their teen overcome that complacency and continue to build driving skills after licensing.

Page 28

$50.00 professional membership:  Renewal _______  New _______

Name: _________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: __________________________________________________

Home Phone: _____________________ Work Phone: ___________________

Fax No: _________________________________________________________

Email address: ___________________________________________________

Signature/Date: __________________________________

If you are not a member of ADTSEA or if you need to review your membership, please complete form above. 

Make check to:

                             Highway Traffic Safety Center

                             R & P Building

                             Indiana University of Pennsylvania

                             Indiana, PA  15705-1092

Page 29

The fatality rate on the nation’s highways in 2004 was the lowest since record-keeping began 30 years ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today.  The number of alcohol-related fatalities also dropped for the second straight year.

All told, 42,636 people died on the nation’s highways in 2004, down from 42,884 in 2003. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) was 1.46 in 2004, down from 1.48 in 2003. The fatality rate has been steadily improving since 1966 when 50,894 people died and the rate was 5.5.

“Drivers are safer today on our nation’s highways than they have ever been, in part because of the safer cars, higher safety belt use and stronger safety laws that this Department has helped champion,” said Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. “But as long as the number of highway deaths remains as high as it is, we will keep advocating for the kind of vehicles, roads and driving habits that make people safer in their cars and trucks.”

Since 2001, the number of states with primary safety belt laws has increased to 22, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, leading to an 80 percent safety belt use level, the highest ever.  In addition, all states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, now have 0.08 blood alcohol laws for drivers. (Minnesota’s 0.08 law takes effect August 15).

In 2004, VMT increased to 2.92 trillion, up from 2.89 trillion in 2003, according to the DOT’s Federal Highway Administration.

“The progress we’ve made reflects the Bush Administration’s strong commitment to improved safety. And credit must also go to those states where safety also is a high priority,” said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge, MD.  He announced the new fatality numbers in Buffalo, where he’s a keynote speaker at the 2005 Traffic Records Forum.

NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) also shows that, between 2003 and 2004:

·         Motorcycle fatalities increased from 3,714 to 4,008, an 8 percent rise.

·         Alcohol-related fatalities dropped from 17,105 to 16,694, a 2.4 percent decline.

·         Rollover deaths among passenger vehicle occupants increased 1.1 percent from 10,442 to 10,553.

·         Total fatalities in sport utility vehicles (SUVs) increased 5.6 percent, from 4,483 to 4735, while fatalities in passenger cars, pickup trucks and vans decreased a total of 834.

·         Twenty-seven states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had decreases in the total number of fatalities. The highest percentage decreases were in the District of Columbia (-36 percent), Rhode Island (-20 percent) and Minnesota, Montana, and Nebraska (–13 percent). The highest percentage increases were in Vermont (+42 percent), New Hampshire (+35 percent), New Mexico (+19 percent), and Alabama and Oklahoma (+15 percent).

·         Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities dropped to 31,693 – the lowest since 1992. Declining fatalities in passenger cars are consistent with more crashworthy vehicles in the fleet and increases in safety belt use.

·         Pedestrian deaths declined 2.8 percent from 4,774 in 2003 to 4,641.

·         Fatalities from large truck crashes increased slightly from 5,036 to 5,190.

·         In 2004, 55 percent (down from 56 percent in 2003) of those killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing safety belts. This underscores the value of the need for states to adopt primary safety belt laws.

NHTSA earlier estimated that highway crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year, about $820 per person.

NHTSA annually collects crash statistics from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to produce annual reports on traffic fatality trends. This early report on results from the 2004 Annual Assessment is available on the NHTSA web site at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2005/809897.pdf

Page 30

THIRTY LINES TO MAKE YOU SMILE

1.        My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.

2.        I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

3.        I Work Hard Because Millions On Welfare Depend on Me!

4.        Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them.

5.        I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

6.        Don't take life too seriously; No one gets out alive.

7.        You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me

8.         Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

9.         Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.

10.        I'm not a complete idiot -- Some parts are missing.

11.        Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

12.        Nyquil, the stuffy, sneeze, why-the-heck-is-the-room-spinning medicine.

13.        God must love stupid people; He made so many.

14.        The gene pool could use a little chlorine.

15.        Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

 16.        Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

17.        Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!

18.        Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I grew up.

19.        Procrastinate Now!

20.        I Have a Degree in Liberal Arts; Do You Want Fries With that?

21.        A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

22.        A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance

23.        Stupidity is not a handicap. Park elsewhere!

24.        They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

25.        He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.

26.        A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.

27.        Ham and eggs. A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

28.        The trouble with life is there's no background music.

29.        The original point and click interface was a Smith and Wesson.

30.        I smile because I don't know what the hell is going on.

31.        Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for Will Rogers

 Page 31

2004 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment – Early Results

Early results from the 2004 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show that the number of persons killed in the U.S. in motor vehicle traffic crashes declined from 2003.  This is the second consecutive year in which traffic crash fatalities have declined after reaching a recent high of 43,005 in 2002.  With an expected increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the fatality rate per 100 million VMT will be 1.46, the lowest recorded by the Department of Transportation (see Figure 1).  Early results also show (see Table 1) a decline in pedestrian fatalities and in fatalities in all passenger vehicles combined.  By vehicle type, occupant fatalities increased in large trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUV).  Motorcycle rider fatalities increased for the seventh year in a row, exceeding 4,000 fatalities for the first year since 1987.

In other significant results, shown in Table 2, fatalities in alcohol-related crashes decreased for a second year, declining by 2.4 percent, falling below 17,000 fatalities for the first time in five years. Fatalities declined by 1.8 percent in crashes decreased for a second year, declining by 2.4 percent, falling below 17,000 fatalities for the first time in five years. Fatalities declined by 1.8 percent in crashes where the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dl) or greater. Fatalities of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants declined by 3.4 percent, reflecting the increasing use of safety belts and contributing to the overall reduction in passenger vehicle occupant fatalities.  Increases were found in the number of passenger vehicle occupants killed when their vehicle rolled over (1.1 percent) and for persons killed in crashes involving large trucks (3.1 percent).

Table 3 shows the total number of fatalities for 2003 and 2004, the change in the number of fatalities and the percent change for each State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.  Twenty-seven States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had reductions in the number of fatalities.  States with the largest reduction in the number of fatalities were Texas (-238) and Michigan (-124).  The District of Columbia and Rhode Island had the greatest percentage reductions (-35.8 percent and –20.2 percent, respectively).  States with the largest increases were Alabama (150) and Indiana (114).  The largest percentage increases were found in Vermont (42.0 percent) and New Hampshire (34.6 percent).  The number of fatalities in New York did not change.

NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) is a census of all crashes of motor vehicles traveling on a public roadway in which a person died within 30 days of the crash.

.

Pages 32 and 33

Pages 34 and 35 not available

One in Ten Drivers Fail DMV-Style Test;

Results of a recent study suggest that millions of Americans lack basic

knowledge of rules of the road and safe automobile operation. In fact, the study

shows that if tested today, one in ten drivers - nearly 20 million Americans -

would fail a state drivers test. Furthermore, the study evaluated Americans'

everyday driving habits, unveiling dangerous driving behaviors.

The alarming results were part of the inaugural GMAC Insurance National Drivers

Test, a study of almost 5,000 licensed drivers nationwide, between ages 16-65

years, designed to gauge Americans' driving knowledge. Respondents were

administered a 20-question written test representative of those used to award

state drivers’ permits or licenses.

Results suggest that many Americans find standard driving practices vexing,

including merging, yielding when making left turns, and road-sign

interpretation. In addition, many may not take such important topics as drinking

and driving seriously enough. Twenty-nine percent (57 million) of drivers who

drink admitted they would knowingly drive while over the legal limit "if they

felt okay."

"As a nation of drivers, we've made little progress in the past 10 years to curb

some of the most dangerous driving behaviors, including drinking and driving and

speeding," said Susan Ferguson, PhD, senior vice president of research,

International Institute for Highway Safety. "This study underscores the

importance of safer driving habits and more consistent law enforcement."

Most state Departments of Motor Vehicles provide written and online resources to

keep your knowledge fresh. Visit [ www.dmvnow.com ] to take the

interactive drivers test

GENERAL DRIVING SAFETY KNOWLEDGE: WHERE AMERICANS ARE LACKING

-- Drivers 18-24 years old are most likely to fail a written driving test (78

percent passing rate); drivers 50-64 years are most likely to pass (85 percent

passing rate).

-- 1 out of 3 drivers claim to speed up to make a yellow light even when

pedestrians are in the crosswalk.

-- 1 out of 4 drivers would roll through a stop sign rather than come to a

complete stop.

-- 1 out of 10 drivers regularly drives over the speed limit by 11 or more miles

per hour, although 58 percent of drivers feel that driving 10 miles per hour

over the speed limit on the interstate is dangerous.

-- Younger drivers (18-24 years old) are most likely to speed; older drivers

(65+) are least likely.

-- Half of Americans report that they do not know how to merge into heavy

traffic.

-- 60 percent of Americans say that they change lanes on a highway without using

their signal.

-- One-third of Americans have packed their car so tightly that their vision was

obstructed.

-- 17 percent of Americans have driven without a rear view or driver's side

mirror.

 Page 36

By Brian Friel, National Journal

(c) National Journal Group Inc.

Friday, June 24, 2005

If today is a typical June day, 126 people will die on the nation's roads before the stroke of midnight. The summer months tend to have a large number of fatal highway accidents, partly because more people are on the road this time of year than during other seasons. The June average of 126 deaths per day follows just

behind the averages in July and August. If you're reading this on a Saturday, it could be an even deadlier day, because Saturday tends to be the most dangerous

day of the week. Saturday's year-round death toll averages 158, compared with Monday's lower death toll, which averages 98.

Statistically speaking, a great deal is known about car accidents -- the leading

cause of death for Americans ages 4 through 34. For example, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. is

the deadliest two-hour period of the day on the roads. In 2004, more than 6

million crashes occurred on U.S. roads, resulting in 2.8 million injuries --

42,800 of them fatal, up by 157 deaths from 2003. Given that Americans drove an

estimated 3 trillion miles last year, every 100 million miles traveled brought

1.5 fatalities. Compared with 1960, that's a great success. Then, the traffic

fatality rate was 5.1 per 100 million miles traveled, meaning that drivers were

three and a half times as likely to wind up in a deadly crash as they are today.

Thanks to safer vehicles, higher seat belt use, less drinking and driving, and

other factors, the highway fatality rate has steadily declined since 1960,

reaching the 1.5 rate in 2001.

For the past four years, though, the fatality rate has remained stuck at 1.5.

And for the past 10 years, the absolute number of deaths per year has hovered

around 42,000. "The fatality rate camouflages what's going on out there," said

Jacqueline Gillan, vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. "Do

you think that if we had five airplane crashes last year and more people died

than the year before, that people would say, 'But more people were flying and

more planes were in the air, and the fatality rate for the industry looked

good?' I'm always amazed that the Department of Transportation -- and the public

-- and the Congress -- have a tolerance for zero fatalities in aviation, and yet

when it comes to highways, 42,800 people died, which was an increase in 2004

from 2003."

Faced with the stubborn reality of millions of highway accidents and thousands

of deaths, Congress this year is considering significant increases in highway

safety dollars, as well as several policy proposals that advocates say will save

lives on the roads. The potential lifesaving proposals are wrapped up in the

mammoth federal highway bill < [

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.00003: ]>, the reauthorization

of which lawmakers have been trying to pass for two years. Nearly the entire

debate over the bill has focused on highway spending, with the Bush

administration pushing for fiscal restraint and many lawmakers pushing for more

dollars. The safety provisions in the competing House and Senate versions of the

bill have received little attention, as the debate over the legislation has been

cast as pork-barrel spending versus deficit reduction. Still, safety advocates

say that Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., the chairman of the Senate Environment and

Public Works Committee, was right when he said repeatedly on the Senate floor

this spring: "More people are going to die if we do not pass the bill."

Putting the 'Safe' in SAFETEA

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta helped start a trend in the early 1990s

when he was chairman of the House Public Works panel's Surface Transportation

Subcommittee. He and his colleagues gave the 1991 highway bill the name ISTEA

(pronounced ice tea), short for the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency

Act <[ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d102:h.r.02950: ]>. The 1998

update was called the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century <[

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:h.r.02400: ]>, or TEA-21.

When Mineta was drafting the Bush administration's proposal for the latest

reauthorization of the highway bill, he and National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration chief Jeffrey Runge came up with SAFETEA -- for Safe,

Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act. Runge said in an

interview that the name reflects the fact that safety is the most important

priority for Mineta's Transportation Department, and that the proposal for the

highway bill that Mineta and his staff have developed puts a greater emphasis on

safety than any previous highway bill ever has. "The safety provisions in this

proposal are the best ever," Runge said. (The name SAFETEA may not survive.

Instead, the final bill will probably be called TEA-LU, or the Transportation

Equity Act -- A Legacy for Users. House Transportation and Infrastructure

Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska, named the bill after his wife, Lu.)

Under previous legislation, safety work on the highways has been paid for out of

a large federal fund that states can use for a variety of purposes. Under the

Bush administration's proposal, a special pot of money would be designated as

safety dollars. States could use the money in the core highway safety program to

straighten dangerous curves in roads, tighten safety measures at

railroad-highway crossings, add rumble strips to highway shoulders, and paint

brighter lines on the road, among other things. "This new program has the

potential to radically reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on our

nation's roadways," said Robert Dingess, government-relations director for the

American Traffic Safety Services Association.

The administration's proposal calls for giving more money to states that pass

tougher seat belt laws and boost drunk-driving programs. The administration also

seeks to encourage states to improve their systems for collecting data on the

causes of car accidents.

The White House submitted its proposal to Congress in May 2003, about four

months before the 1998 highway bill was set to expire. The proposal included far

less money overall for highway spending than lawmakers wanted, so efforts to

pass the bill started and stalled for the next two years as the two sides

haggled over the price tag. With the House siding with the administration, a

House-Senate conference committee began meeting this month to find a compromise

on spending. Once that is reached, the conferees will turn to the safety

provisions and other policy issues in the bill.

While the House followed the administration's lead on the spending total, it was

the Senate that adopted much of the administration's safety proposal --

including the new core highway safety program for $6.6 billion. Senators also

added on some vehicle-safety requirements and tougher sentencing rules for drunk

driving. The House included $3.3 billion for the highway safety program and

added some other construction programs to improve road safety.

The most-contentious provisions, which will take up much of the conferees' time,

include those governing seat belt laws, drunk driving, vehicle-safety

requirements, and rules on how states can spend their federal safety dollars.

While everyone involved in the highway safety issue wants to save lives, the

various parties differ deeply on how best to do that.

Click It, or Else

Highway safety advocates generally agree that human error -- and not vehicle

malfunction or road conditions -- causes 80 to 85 percent of fatal car

accidents. And the biggest mistake people make, the advocates say, is to leave

their seat belts unbuckled. Of the 31,000 drivers and passengers who died last

year and for whom seat belt statistics are available, 56 percent were not

wearing seat belts. Seat belts save 15,000 lives a year, the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration estimates, and last year would have saved the

lives of about half of the crash victims who were not wearing them.

Getting people to wear their seat belts has been the main focus of NHTSA and

safety advocates for several decades. Today, an estimated 80 percent of drivers

and passengers wear them, up from less than 10 percent a few decades ago. But it

hasn't been easy to persuade people to buckle up.

In 1974, NHTSA required car manufacturers to install seat belt interlocks, which

forced drivers and their front-seat passengers to buckle up before they could

start their cars. The interlocks were something of a public-relations disaster

for safety advocates. People disliked being forced to put their seat belts on.

"People were buckling the seat belts behind them rather than putting them on,"

said Eron Shosteck, director of communications for the Alliance of Automobile

Manufacturers. "People were so outraged. Someone who used to work on the Hill at

that time said that even during the height of Watergate, they were getting more

angry letters about seat belt interlocks than they were about Watergate."

After interlocks bombed, NHTSA and others found more success with less

restrictive seat belt reminders, including education campaigns (such as "You Can

Learn a Lot from a Dummy"), and with state laws mandating seat belt use. In the

last decade alone, seat belt use rose from 58 percent in 1994 to 80 percent

today.

The Transportation Department is encouraging states to adopt primary seat belt

laws, under which drivers can be pulled over for not wearing their seat belts.

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have such laws in place.

Twenty-seven states have secondary seat belt laws, under which drivers can get a

ticket for not wearing their seat belts, but only when they have been pulled

over for another offense, such as speeding. New Hampshire is the only state that

has resisted either type of adult seat belt law.

The resistance is philosophical. Many people do not think that the government

should tell people what to do in their own cars. "This comes down to a personal

choice," said Eric Skrum, a spokesman for the Waunakee, Wis.-based National

Motorists Association, which fights mandatory seat belt laws in state

legislatures. "There are plenty of things people do that cost lives that the

government doesn't mandate anything on. Take obesity. People do die from it, but

you don't have the government coming in saying, 'You can only have so many

calories per day,' or 'You have to have mandatory exercise programs.' "

The Senate version of the highway bill would encourage states to adopt primary

seat belt laws by offering an incentive. States that already had primary laws in

place as of January 1, 2003, would get a bonus of federal funds worth two and a

half times their normal highway safety grant. States that passed primary laws

after January 1, 2003, or that pass them in the future would get a bonus worth

five times their normal safety grant. States without primary laws would not be

penalized, but would miss out on the extra money.

The House version would give bonuses worth 100 percent of safety grants to

states that manage to get 85 percent of drivers to wear seat belts. It doesn't

require states to pass primary seat belt laws to get the extra money.

States'-rights advocates have argued against provisions similar to the Senate's

because they don't believe that the federal government should "blackmail" states

into adopting certain laws. For example, the national speed limit of 55 miles

per hour met with so much resistance that it was repealed in 1995. States didn't

like that they could lose federal money if they didn't comply with the law, and

enforcement of the speed limit was lax. "It was one of the most disregarded laws

that you could possibly imagine," Skrum said. But the current Senate bill avoids

some of that criticism by using an incentive -- the safety grant bonus, rather

than a penalty such as withholding federal funds -- to encourage state

legislatures to adopt the primary seat belt laws. Still, many state-based groups

prefer the House version, arguing that the federal government should not be in

the business of pushing states to adopt laws.

Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association,

which represents state highway-safety agencies, said that the House legislation

is the better one because it's concerned with the results of state actions,

rather than the means of increasing seat belt use. Harsha called the Senate bill

unfair. "States that have new primary belt laws -- that includes Illinois,

Delaware, and Tennessee -- plus any states that pass new ones would get a lot of

money," Harsha said. "Everybody else, they get nothing." Runge and other

advocates of the Senate version argue that primary seat belt laws are the most

effective means of increasing seat belt use. Every percentage-point increase in

seat belt use saves 270 lives, Runge said. He added that people who oppose the

belt-law incentives are concerned with how money is divided among the states.

But the federal government, he said, must hold states accountable for the

federal money they receive by encouraging them to adopt the most effective

measures to increase seat belt use. "Getting accountability authorized by people

who want to make sure their states get enough money is a difficult thing

sometimes," Runge said.

Too Drunk to Drive

Another persistent problem is drunk driving. Police make 1.5 million

driving-under-the-influence arrests each year. Safety advocates say that drivers

drive drunk 80 to 100 times before they actually get caught by police. Seventeen

thousand of the 42,000 highway deaths in 2003 were alcohol-related. "Every day

in this country, I can pick up a newspaper in any major city, and I'll see an

article about a family whose lives have been shattered because of a

high-blood-alcohol-content driver," said Wendy Hamilton, president of Mothers

Against Drunk Driving. "There's an outcry across the country. Why are these

people still on the roads? The states have not done enough to deal with it."

The House's highway bill would tighten up penalties for repeat offenders by

requiring either a one-year license suspension, or a 45-day suspension followed

by limited driving privileges and installation in their cars of an ignition

interlock device that lets drivers start their cars only if they pass a breath

test.

Under a federal requirement, all states already penalize persons who are caught

driving with blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher. The Senate version

would go much further. Lobbied by MADD, Sens. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Mike

DeWine, R-Ohio, sponsored an amendment to the Senate bill that requires states

to pass tougher penalties for both repeat offenders and drivers with

blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent or higher.

Potential penalties include license suspension, vehicle impoundment, mandatory

alcohol treatment programs, and jail. States that don't pass the laws would see

millions of federal dollars transferred from construction programs to

drunk-driving programs.

Lautenberg, along with Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and several House members, held

a press conference <[

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--highwaybill-dwi0616jun16,0,7564385.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

]> with MADD on June 16 to announce their effort to get the conference committee

to adopt the Senate version. American voters "want to see who is resistant to

taking a killer off the road," Lautenberg said. "Go with us on this."

Still, MADD failed to persuade the House to adopt its proposal, which faces

significant opposition from states'-rights advocates and groups like the

American Beverage Licensees and the Century Council, an anti-drunk-driving group

funded by the alcohol industry. Ralph Blackman, president of the council, said

that state legislatures have passed dozens of laws in recent years to address

the drunk-driving problem. The federal government should let states deal with

the problems locally, rather than through a top-down mandate. "Solving the

drunk-driving problem doesn't have a silver bullet," Blackman said. "It's public

officials taking the problem more seriously; it's the culture of drinking and

driving -- which has changed; it is good policy and good laws which are

effectively enforced.... What works and what is the problem in Wyoming isn't

necessarily what works and what is the problem in Florida."

Helmets, Tires, and Trees

Although seat belts and drunk-driving laws are two of the most controversial

safety-related issues in this year's highway bill, they also represent two major

success stories, with seat belt use rising dramatically and drunk-driving deaths

declining significantly (36 percent since 1982) over the past few decades. But

for every success, there is a persistent or rising problem that leaves the

fatality rate stagnant.

For example, motorcycle deaths increased from 2,056 in 1997 to 3,590 in 2003, a

jump of 75 percent, according to NHTSA <[

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2001/809-360.pdf ]> [PDF]. In

1995, Congress lifted a federal requirement for state helmet laws, and states

started repealing their motorcycle helmet laws the following year, thanks to

aggressive lobbying by groups of motorcyclists, who don't like to be told what

to do. Helmet use has plummeted in states that have repealed the laws. At the

same time, motorcycle sales are roaring, with Baby Boomer men getting back onto

bikes in a renaissance of riding. Both the House and Senate bills include

provisions requiring a study of motorcycle crashes, as well as a few million

dollars a year for motorcycle-safety education campaigns. But in May, the Senate

by a 28-69 vote soundly rejected Lautenberg's attempt to include a helmet

requirement in the highway bill.

Another persistent problem is rural roads. Almost 60 percent of fatal crashes in

2003 occurred on two-lane, undivided roads. Based on fatality rates, rural local

roads are five times as dangerous as urban interstates. Darkness, poor road

markings, tight curves, and other factors contribute to the problem. The

National Association of Counties, whose members own and maintain many of the

problem roads, contends that counties get far fewer dollars than states do to

improve safety. Colleen Landkamer, commissioner of Blue Earth County, Minn.,

said that four to five people die per year on the roads and bridges that wind

through her county's river valley. "Rural citizens are two and a half times as

likely to be killed on highways than their urban counterparts," she said.

The House version of the highway bill would designate $590 million over five

years to address high-risk rural roads. The money could be used for a variety of

purposes, such as adding guard rails to prevent cars from running off the road

and hitting trees -- the cause of death for 4,522 people in 2003. The Senate

version does not include the rural-road provision.

The House bill also designates $1 billion for a new program, "Safe Routes to

School" that would improve the walking and biking paths around schools. The

Senate includes $338 million for the program. The Bush administration has argued

against set-asides like the rural-roads and Safe Routes to School program. "This

approach would diminish resources for programs that can actually save a greater

number of lives," Mineta wrote in a June 7 letter to conferees.

The administration also opposes a Senate requirement that NHTSA pass new

vehicle-safety standards for rollover reduction, roof strength, power-window

switches, and door locks. The Senate would also push longer seat belt reminder

buzzers and mandate that NHTSA conduct studies on tire aging, and on

technologies to detect objects behind vehicles in an effort to prevent back-over

deaths. Rollovers accounted for more than 10,000 deaths in 2003, and improper

tire pressure contributes to more than 600 deaths a year, according to NHTSA.

But the administration argues that Congress should let NHTSA do its job and

decide when rule-making is necessary, rather than mandating it. The Alliance of

Automobile Manufacturers opposes Congress's mandatory rule-making too, noting

that carmakers are already working on the technologies that the Senate bill

would require. Spokesman Eron Shosteck said that boosting seat belt use remains

the most vital effort. "It's important to note that the most important safety

equipment in a vehicle is the safety belt," he said. "If automakers installed no

new technology in vehicles, but all Americans started buckling up tomorrow, we'd

start saving 7,000 lives per year -- just by using the simple piece of safety

technology that's already in the vehicle."

One proposal that the manufacturers are more open to is a Senate provision,

sponsored by DeWine, called "Stars on Cars," that would require manufacturers to

include NHTSA five-star safety ratings on the window stickers that dealerships

display on cars. Shosteck said that manufacturers want to work with DeWine and

NHTSA to ensure that consumers aren't overloaded with information.

The Goal Line

In concert with state officials, Mineta has set a goal of reducing the highway

fatality rate to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles by 2008. Assuming traffic

rises at the same rate it has in recent years, that goal would require the

highway death toll to fall to around 31,000 in the next three years. Safety

advocates doubt that will happen. "You never want to say it's not achievable,"

said Harsha of the governors association. "The main reason it would be a big

stretch is that we as a nation -- the state, federal, and local governments --

have done all the easy things. We've gotten the nation to buckle up.

Impaired-driving fatalities have gone down significantly. What we're facing is

the hard core of drivers, people whose behavior is much more difficult to

influence." One issue that is beginning to draw attention is driver's education,

given that most accidents result from human error. DeWine is pushing a proposal

to begin a study of effective driver's education efforts.

The problem is persistent, but so are highway safety advocates. Many have lost

family members and friends on the road. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., one of the

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee members who helped draft the

Senate provisions, lost his father to a car crash on a two-lane rural road in

1969. DeWine's daughter died in a car accident at age 22 in 1993. Warner said at

the MADD announcement that after 27 years in the Senate, he rarely tears up --

except when he hears from the families of highway accident victims. "I'm pretty

well impervious to emotion," he said. "But the personal stories are with me 365

days every year, night and day. That's why we're going to win this fight."

Page 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41

Page 42 not available

NHTSA POLICY AND FAQs

ON CELLULAR PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING

Policy Statement

The primary responsibility of the driver is to operate a motor vehicle safely.   The task of driving requires full attention and focus.  Cell phone use can distract drivers from this task, risking harm to themselves and others.  Therefore, the safest course of action is to refrain from using a cell phone while driving. 

Questions and Answers

Q.  Does cell phone use while driving cause traffic crashes?

A.  Research shows that driving while using a cell phone can pose a serious cognitive distraction and degrade driver performance.  The data are insufficient to quantify crashes caused by cell phone use specifically, but NHTSA estimates that driver distraction from all sources contributes to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic crashes.

Q.  Is it safe to use hands-free (headset, speakerphone, or other device) cell phones while driving?

A.  The available research indicates that whether it is a hands-free or hand-held cell phone, the cognitive distraction is significant enough to degrade a driver’s performance.  This can cause a driver to miss key visual and audio cues needed to avoid a crash.

Q.  In an emergency should I use my cell phone while driving?

A.  As a general rule, drivers should make every effort to move to a safe place off of the road before using a cell phone.  However, in emergency situations a driver must use their judgment regarding the urgency of the situation and the necessity to use a cell phone while driving.

Q.  Is NHTSA conducting further research to better quantify the safety impact of using cell phones while driving? 

A.  NHTSA is conducting research projects on driver cell phone use and will continue to monitor the research of others on this subject.  As we learn more about the impact of cell phone use on driver performance and crash risk, and as wireless technologies evolve and expand, NHTSA will make its findings public.

Page 43

VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION FOR

DRIVER EDUCATION & TRAFFFC SAFETY

______________________________________________________________________________

12465 Warwick Boulevard

 Newport News, VA  23606