Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Awards

O'Rourke Award

The Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Awards recognize notable achievements in the field of highway safety by individuals, coalitions, organizations, nonprofit groups, businesses, media, government agencies, universities or programs. Submissions may include traffic safety programs, plans or legislation in areas including – but not limited to – occupant protection, impaired driving, speeding or aggressive driving, driver distraction, law enforcement, traffic records, emergency medical services and bicyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian safety.

2024 Awards

The 2024 O'Rourke Awards were presented during the GHSA 2024 Annual Meeting to Melissa W. Wandall, AAA Missouri and Tammy Gweedo McGee.

Past Winners

Santa Monica Police Department
The pedestrian safety program Be Safe, Be Seen, sponsored by the Santa Monica Police Department, resulted in zero pedestrian deaths and a 21 percent decrease in pedestrian traffic injuries.

North Central Highway Safety Network
Through the efforts of the North Central Highway Safety Network's statewide highway safety initiative Buckle Up PA, safety belt use in Pennsylvania climbed to 82 percent.

Idaho Transportation Department
The Office of Traffic and Highway Safety in Idaho created the Idaho Mobile Program for Accident CollecTion (IMPACT 2K), software designed to complete crash reports electronically

Clermont County OH
The Last Chance educational program was designed to counter the growing problem of high risk youthful drivers by targeting repeat offenders ages 16 to 24.

AAA Clubs of Tennessee

 

Prior to 2004, only 20 states and the District of Columbia had enacted a primary enforcement safety belt law. In 2004, one other state joined the list. Thanks in large part to the leadership of the AAA Clubs of Tennessee, Tennessee became number 21.


WTSC Staff
Washington state took creative measures taken to ensure a strong Click It Or Ticket campaign, prompting seat belt use in the state to reach 95 percent.

Portage County Safe Communities
Portage County Safe Communities (PCSC) seamlessly integrated the Ravenna Police Department and Robinson Memorial Hospital in a successful effort to address the unique traffic safety issues Portage County faces.

Richard Perkins, Director

Maine's Crash Reporting System (MCRS) streamlined a paper data collection process that was untimely and prone to inaccuracies.