Georgia's McBride to Head National Highway Safety Group; Highway Safety Funding and Drunk Driving Top Agenda

9/25/2002

From: Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway Safety Association, 202-789-0942

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Yvonne McBride has been elected the new chair of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) at a crucial moment in the traffic safety movement. While many lifesaving gains have been made, future progress remains very much in doubt as funding concerns and changing national priorities may stall progress and potentially reverse gains. McBride was elected by her peers at the organization's annual meeting earlier this month in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the Governor's Highway Safety Representative for Georgia where she serves as director of the state's office of highway safety.

Renewal of Funding First and foremost on McBride's agenda is the renewal of federal highway safety programs and funding for states. She says that this tops her list of priorities because, "If we don't receive adequate funding, every single lifesaving activity we do will be threatened." The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which authorized over $500 million dollars a year in behavioral safety funding, expires in September of 2003. Congress is beginning work on reauthorizing these funds and has sought testimony and input from GHSA and other key safety interests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has stated that if the current level of effort is kept, fatalities will increase to 50,000 a year by the year 2008 (from the current level of approximately 42,000 per year). Given this alarming fact, GHSA hopes Congress finds ways to increase surface transportation funding above current levels. If Congress can in fact do this, GHSA recommends $1 billion of that increase will be directed on a proportionate basis to the consolidated federal behavioral and current safety infrastructure programs. This increase in funding will allow states to address emerging highway safety issues such as aggressive driving and distracted driving. Additionally, states will be able to enhance programs for target populations (such as younger and older drivers), fund community-level programs and fund improvements to roadway safety.

Drunk Driving McBride says she will work diligently to help refocus the nation's attention on the serious problem of drunk driving. After years of progress, alcohol-related traffic crashes have increased in the past two years, resulting in over 17,000 deaths each year. Further evidence of the need to refocus on drunk driving comes from NHTSA which states that an analysis of recent data has shown that crashes involving alcohol impaired drivers are about 50 percent more likely to result in an injury or fatality than crashes in which alcohol was not involved. McBride says she will use her new position to draw attention back to this issue. She says, "In the the past 20 years, we have made tremendous progress in reducing drunk driving deaths and injuries. However, I'm concerned that much of our society thinks we have "solved" the problem. Unfortunately, fatality numbers prove that we have not." McBride says GHSA will continue to work with NHTSA to identify the most effective drunk driving strategies and work to make sure states have the tools to implement them. She adds, "States must also be given the flexibility to enact drunk driving countermeasures based on local cultures and climates. What works in California will not necessarily work in New Hampshire." As one example of the need for flexibility in programs, she cites the fact that while some states conduct drunk driving checkpoints, other states are constitutionally prohibited from conducting them. On the national level, GHSA will continue to work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on issues such as drunk driving program funding and alcohol taxation and advertising policies.

Teen Driving McBride will also use her term to draw attention to the risks associated with teen drivers and to work with states to increase the safety of these vulnerable drivers. There are approximately 4 million new teen drivers each year and over half of them are involved in a traffic crash in their first year of driving. Driving fatalities also are the number one killer among 16-24 year olds. McBride says, "There's nothing more upsetting than when I learn about another young life lost." To help combat this problem, GHSA will participate in a major new initiative within the coming months.

Cell Phones and Distracted Driving While McBride continues to be concerned about the hazards of cell phone use while driving, she wants to ensure that the national focus remains on issues that have a clear research basis that cause an overwhelming majority of deaths on our highways. Limited funding requires highway safety priorities to focus on problems supported by persuasive data. Until more concrete data is available, GHSA will continue to urge drivers not to talk and drive (with or without a hands-free device) while steering the national discussion more toward the broadest and most serious highway safety issues.

McBride is excited and honored to serve in her new position, particularly in these challenging times. She says, "I know if we pull together and achieve consensus within the highway safety community we can make a huge difference in saving lives and reducing injuries on our nation's roadways."

------ The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Indian Nation. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Prior to September 2002, GHSA was known as the National Association of Governors' Highway Safety Representatives (NAGHSR). For more information, contact Jonathan Adkins at 202-789-0942, e-mail jadkins@statehighwaysafety.org or visit www.statehighwaysafety.org.