Mission
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is an alliance of consumer, medical, public health, law enforcement, and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to improve road safety in the U.S. Advocates’ mission is the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that prevent motor vehicle crashes, save lives, reduce injuries, and contain costs.
History and Structure
Advocates was founded in 1989 by executives of a number of major property and casualty insurance companies and several prominent consumer and safety leaders. These two communities share virtually identical goals on highway and auto safety issues.
Objectives
Data from the federal government shows that more than 36,500 people die every year on average in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 2.7 million people are injured. Further, crashes impose an annual comprehensive cost to society of $836 billion in property loss, medical and emergency bills, productivity loss, lost quality of life, and other related costs. Advocates pursues policies and standards that will prevent and mitigate the major causes contributing to this public health epidemic.
Strategies and Activities
Advocates develops a program plan each year to establish safety priorities and identify state and federal opportunities to advance lifesaving measures. Advocates’ staff proposes legislative solutions, analyzes issues, conducts research, develops strategies, organizes coalitions, testifies before Congress and state legislatures, files technical comments on federal regulatory actions, prepares issue fact sheets and other publications including the annual Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws, and educates the public. Advocates pursues a bipartisan strategy in Congress and in state legislatures working with elected officials, consumer and safety groups, insurers, and others to promote adoption of proven and cost-effective safety measures.
Outlook
Advocates’ strengths are its steadfast dedication to the adoption of public policies that save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce costs; its unmatched success in achieving vehicle, driver, and roadway improvements; and, the unique collaboration and support it receives for its safety mission from consumer groups and insurance companies and associations. Advocates plays a leadership role in developing legislative and regulatory policies, expanding public understanding of highway and auto safety issues, and encouraging actions to reduce the human and economic costs of motor vehicle crashes.