Recommendations aim to reduce fatalities on nation's highways.
Press Release Summary:
Kirk Steudle, Michigan DOT Director and chairman of AASHTO's Standing Committee on Highway Traffic Safety, told Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that although highway fatalities dropped significantly in 2009, American highways can still be made safer. Some AASHTO recommendations include highway safety funding, highway safety data collection and sharing, highway safety laws and adjudication, safety improvements to vehicles, highway safety R/D, and safety improvement in drivers.
Original Press Release:
Michigan DOT Director Outlines Recommendations for Reducing Fatalities on the Nation's Highways
(WASHINGTON D.C.)-While highway fatalities dropped significantly in 2009, American highways can be made safer, the director of the Michigan Department of Transportation told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today.
"There is no more important issue than highway safety - and heightening the awareness of highway safety is of utmost importance," said Kirk Steudle, MDOT director and chairman of AASHTO's Standing Committee on High-way Traffic Safety. "Nationwide, 33,963 Americans perished in traffic collisions in 2009, a drop of 9 percent from 2008. While this is excellent news, we need to continue our progress in reducing highway fatalities."
State transportation departments are using federal funds to implement effective solutions designed to drive down fatalities, he told the committee. In 2010, Michigan DOT will spend nearly $70 million on roadway safety including signage improvements, pavement markings, modernizing signalized intersections, and installing cable median barriers.
"These kinds of expenditures have helped us to reduce highway fatalities on Michigan roadways to 871 in 2009, the lowest number since 1924, when fatalities were 863," Steudle said.
In May 2007, AASHTO's Board of Directors adopted a national goal of reducing traffic deaths by half over two decades. This would translate into saving 1,000 lives per year over a 20-year period.
"We know that together we can work to accomplish this ambitious but vital goal," Steudle said.
AASHTO recommends a series of bold congressional actions:
National Agenda on Highway Safety: Congress should adopt a national goal of reducing traffic deaths by half over two decades.
Highway Safety Funding: Congress should increase the flexibility and level of funding for all safety pro-grams equal to increases in the other core programs' funding to meet the national safety goal.
Strategic Highway Safety Plan Continuation: Congress should continue the requirement that states develop and implement Strategic Highway Safety Plans consistent with their long-range transportation planning and short-range programming processes.
Highway Safety Data Collection and Sharing: AASHTO is requesting Congress provide $20 million per year to enhance NHTSA's State Data System.
Highway Safety Laws and Adjudication: Congress should support a national effort, led by NHTSA, to develop and recommend model laws and best practices to the states on ways to drive down traffic deaths, including rigorous enforcement and adjudication of those laws.
Safety Improvement in Vehicles: Congress should encourage more expeditious deployment of technic-al safety improvements in vehicles through federal incentives, and regulatory and research-and-development initiatives.
Highway Safety Research, Development, and Technology: Congress should increase funding for safety research, development, and technology - and expand the coordination among research entities.
Safety Improvement in Drivers: Congress should provide $5 million to modernize the Commercial Driver Licensing Information System. In addition, $14 million in General Fund support is needed for the De-partment of Homeland Security for the information hub to allow motor-vehicle agencies to implement a "One Driver, One License" system.
For more information on AASHTO's authorization recommendations, go to AreWeThereYet.transportation.org/HowDoWeGetThere.html.
To read Steudle's complete testimony, go to downloads.transportation.org/Steudle_Testimony_on_Safety_041410.pdf.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the "Voice of Transportation" representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation.
