GHSA News Release: State Highway Safety Officials Praise House Reauthorization Bill

GHSA News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2005

Contact: Jonathan Adkins or Barbara Harsha
(202)789-0942

State Highway Safety Officials Praise House Reauthorization Bill

Bill Funds Highway Safety Program at Highest Level in 25 Years

Statement for Attribution to Barbara Harsha, Executive Director of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced H.R. 3, a bill to reauthorize surface transportation programs, including federal highway safety grant programs that address the behavior of drivers and other road users. GHSA members administer these programs.

GHSA applauds the House action and urges swift passage of a reauthorization bill.

In particular, GHSA supports:

The increased funding levels for behavioral programs in H.R. 3, compared to last year's bill enacted by the House. Beginning in FY 2006, the proposed funding will provide more than $200 million a year for the base Section 402 program -- a funding level the program has not received since 1980. It also provides significant funding for occupant protection and impaired driving incentives and authorizes enough funding so that states can make significant improvements in their highway safety information system hardware and software.
The new occupant protection incentive program that encourages states to increase safety belt usage to at least 85 percent. Currently, the national average is 80 percent.
The new impaired driving incentive program, which contains updated eligibility criteria encouraging implementation of the latest research on how to effectively reduce impaired driving.
The data improvement program that acknowledges the importance of safety data for state decision-making and provides resources for states to improve their data systems.

GHSA is also pleased the Committee did not include a Bush Administration proposal to allow $100 million in safety belt incentive funds to be annually transferred into highway construction programs. Such a provision would jeopardize nearly 20 percent of behavioral highway safety grant funds -- funding that GHSA members depend on to enforce safety belt laws and to purchase paid media to publicize state and local enforcement efforts. If the Bush Administration's proposal were to be enacted, states would be encouraged to pass primary seat belt laws but then not have the funding to enforce and publicize these laws. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and state experiences indicate this combination of enforcement and publicity are key to increasing belt use and saving lives. For these reasons, GHSA supports the Committee's approach rather than the Bush Administration's.

GHSA pledges to work with the Committee to ensure that the behavioral highway safety portions of the bill meet the needs of states and that these translate into continued progress in saving lives and reducing injuries on our nation's roadways.

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The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)® is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy and enhance program management. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at 202-789-0942 or visit www.ghsa.org.