Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Protecting children with proven safety solutions is an achievable goal. This Child Passenger Safety Week, we call upon state and federal officials to make it happen.
read moreOn September 9, 2021 Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), participated in a roundtable discussion on vehicle safety hosted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The discussion was the third in a series on the Safe System Approach, highlighting the NTSB’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, and was moderated by NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.
read moreWith the recent announcement by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extending exemptions pertaining to operations supporting direct assistance for COVID-19 relief efforts, we urge the agency to be transparent about their use by making any related data available to the public.
read moreNew estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveal the continuation of a deadly upward trend and underscore the urgent need to advance proven solutions to reduce crashes, injuries and deaths.
read moreHoliday weekend travel combined with recent increases in dangerous driving behaviors highlight urgent need to advance proven solutions to protect roadway workers and all road users.
read moreWe are still miles from achieving safe and fully autonomous vehicles. On this trajectory, incremental steps could save thousands of lives. Crash-avoidance technologies, such as automatic emergency brakes (AEB), are available and effective.
read moreThese are dangerous times for Missouri motorists and road users. Crash fatalities skyrocketed to a 13-year high in 2020, with nearly 1,000 deaths, including 120 pedestrians, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT).
read moreWe need DeFazio to keep fighting for this and other safety improvements in the House bill before a package is sent to the president who, like me, has endured the loss of a young child.
read moreWe urge Congress to make certain the infrastructure/transportation bill sent to President Joe Biden advances proven safety technologies which will protect children and their families for years to come.
read moreAuto safety agency’s investigative actions are commendable. They also highlight the need for minimum performance standards for vehicles with automated driving technology to protect first responders and all road users.
read more
Failure to adopt House-passed safety requirements in the Senate’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act puts all road users on a dangerous and deadly path.
read more
Congress must advance proven vehicle safety solutions to prevent future tragedies as part of transportation and infrastructure legislation.
read more
“We the people are trusting our elected officials to help our children, our future. Pass the Hot Cars Act as part of transportation and infrastructure legislation.”
read more
“On March 25, 2016 our 10-year-old son Teddy was severely injured as a result of a collapsing seatback in a rear impact collision. Teddy suffered a fractured skull and a traumatic brain injury during the crash, and our family has never been the same.”
read more
“My husband Mark was taken from our family following a senseless red light running crash in 2003. Today, I am asking Congress to ensure that lifesaving safety technology is required in all new vehicles.”
read moreDangerous pilot program allowing “teen truckers” to drive large trucks in interstate commerce must be stripped.
read more
“It has been seven years since my precious son Benjamin passed away in our family vehicle after a change in routine caused my husband to forget that he had not dropped him off at daycare. Families do not move on from tragedies like this, and perhaps the most tragic thing of all is that these hot car incidents are preventable with the right kind of technology. Car manufacturers have been aware of this problem for decades. We need the U.S. Senate to follow the lead of the House and include the Hot Cars Act in transportation and infrastructure legislation.”
read more
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent the message below to Congress on August 3, 2021: This morning, an op-ed was published in Chicago’s Daily Herald, “Build safety into infrastructure bill,” by Shaun Kildare, Senior Director of Research at Advocates…
read more
Red light running is a known killer on our roads. The annual “Stop on Red Week” campaign by the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) shines a spotlight on the need to address this deadly behavior, which was responsible for more than 800 deaths and 143,000 injuries in 2019 alone.
read moreTransportation and infrastructure legislation released today, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, fails to address the mounting physical, emotional and economic toll of motor vehicle crashes occurring every year. The unique opportunity to enact transformative transportation policies occurs every five years. Congress must capitalize on this moment and include proven solutions to the problems that persist on our nation’s roads.
read more
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent the message to Congress below on August, 31, 2021: Russ Swift (Port St. Lucie, FL), Co-Chair of Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.): “Nearly 28 years ago, October 14, 1993, our 23-year-old…
read moreDeaths are Up. Action is Needed Now. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates, last year, 38,680 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. This marks the largest projected increase in traffic fatalities since 2007 even while…
read more
“My daughter, Taylor Grace, was killed in 2010, at almost 17 months old, when our car was hit from behind, and the seat in front of her collapsed in a totally predictable way. She was killed by a seat that met the federal standard. Our little girl did not live to see her second birthday, but this failing standard is now almost 54 years old. We chose the vehicle we were in because we thought it was safe. Yet, because the government has failed to modernize the seatback standard, parents just like us are putting their own children at risk every day when they are doing exactly as the government recommends – putting their babies in the back seat.”
read moreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2021 CONTACT: Pete Daniels / pdaniels@saferoads.org / 301-442-2249 (C) Statement of Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), On U.S. Senate’s Bipartisan Transportation/ Infrastructure Bill The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act fails…
read more
“This November it will be 5 years since Wyatt was killed and my husband and I still think about him every day, and multiple times throughout the day. We will never stop thinking of the senselessness of that Friday afternoon – that truck driver, that box truck. Wyatt’s crash proves that these vehicles are just as deadly as the larger trucks, and they are moving by the many thousands through our streets and neighborhoods at all times of the day. We now have the technology to make sure that, if drivers fail to apply brakes when they should, a truck can apply them automatically with ‘Automatic Emergency Braking,’ or AEB. But the current proposed infrastructure bill doesn’t require all trucks to have that safety device.”
read more
“I received a phone call from a church friend who informed me that I needed to come to Clarksdale, Mississippi, right away because something had happened to my 3-month-old grandson, Norman Collins III who was affectionately known as ‘Bishop.’ I later learned that Bishop was dead, the victim of heatstroke after being unknowingly left in his parents’ hot car in a church parking lot on a 93-degree Sunday afternoon, due to a miscommunication. Available technology called for in the Hot Cars Act would have saved his little life and so many others. The need to pass this life-saving legislation is urgent. Children’s lives depend on it. Please help us to turn our pain into power, our tragedy into triumph, and our agony into positive action.”
read moreOn July 22, 2021, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) began sending messages to Congress from family members who have suffered the death or injury of a child, spouse or loved one because of a car or truck crash, hot car incident or seatback failure. These victim advocates call upon Congress to advance proven auto safety solutions to prevent future tragedies as part of transportation and infrastructure legislation.
read moreOn July 26, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a message to Congress opposing anti-safety amendments offered to the U.S. House of Representatives appropriations bill on transportation, housing and urban development (THUD). To see the list of…
read more
“I was driving home from the beach with my sons, Brandon and Bryan, when a box truck struck our car. Bryan, who was only seven years old, did not survive…Now is the time to mandate automatic emergency braking (AEB) for ALL trucks. No exceptions and no excuses. I call on President Biden to support this crucial upgrade. We both are Delawareans and we both know the pain and suffering of losing precious family members in a preventable truck crash. Please do this for Bryan and for other families like ours. It should not be a difficult decision.”
read more
“On behalf of our daughter, Jayden Faith, and the thousands of families that have suffered catastrophic injuries or deaths as a result of preventable seatback failures, today we call on Congress to modernize the seatback standard that for 54 years has failed to protect families like mine. Far too many families will never see their children or loved ones again because they died because of a seatback collapse. We hope the Senate will act quickly to finish what the House has started to help spare even one more family from suffering what my family, and too many others like ours, have had to suffer.”
read more
“On May 6, 2013, my husband’s twin brother, Tim Huffman, was killed by a distracted semitruck driver. Tim was a decorated war veteran with 3 tours in Iraq and had served as a military police officer. The semitruck driver was on Facebook at the time of the wreck. The crash into Tim’s police cruiser and subsequent collisions created a wreckage of vehicles that stretched about a mile long – all of which could have been prevented if the truck was equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB). I am here today to speak for Tim, for my family and for all roadway users. We must have safety provisions like universal AEB in place to avoid these preventable tragedies.”
read more
“It breaks our hearts to know that there is affordable, available technology out there that could have detected our little girl, Charly, in my husband’s vehicle and saved her life by sounding an alarm and sending an alert to his phone. My husband was only 20 feet away from her the entire time she was trapped inside his vehicle. Had he known, he would have done literally anything to protect her. The Hot Cars Act, which is part of the House INVEST in America Act, should be passed immediately so that all vehicles come with this life-saving technology.”
read moreAs families who have suffered the loss or serious injury of children, spouses and other loved ones in preventable motor vehicle crashes, truck crashes, hot car incidents, and seatback failures, we join with consumer, public health, safety, bicyclist and pedestrian advocates in urging you to ensure that crucial safety advances are included in the final infrastructure bill sent to President Biden. This is the only way our nation will achieve significant and sustained reductions in the unacceptable and costly death and injury toll caused by motor vehicle crashes. Unfortunately, the Surface Transportation Investment Act (S. 2016) contains safety placebos instead of the proven and available remedies passed by the House with bipartisan support.
read moreAs families who have suffered the loss or serious injury of children, spouses and other loved ones in preventable motor vehicle crashes, truck crashes, hot car incidents, and seatback failures, we join with consumer, public health, safety, bicyclist and pedestrian advocates in urging you to ensure that crucial safety advances are included in the final infrastructure bill sent to President Biden. This is the only way our nation will achieve significant and sustained reductions in the unacceptable and costly death and injury toll caused by motor vehicle crashes. Unfortunately, the Surface Transportation Investment Act (S. 2016) contains safety placebos instead of the proven and available remedies passed by the House with bipartisan support.
read moreAs families who have suffered the loss or serious injury of children, spouses and other loved ones in preventable motor vehicle crashes, truck crashes, hot car incidents, and seatback failures, we join with consumer, public health, safety, bicyclist and pedestrian advocates in urging you to ensure that the safety advances enacted in H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act, are retained in the final infrastructure bill sent to President Biden.
read more
“2,842 days. Nearly 41 million minutes. That is how long it has been since I last kissed my kind, adorable 12-year-old son goodbye and then never saw him alive again. He was in 8th grade and just needed to walk from school to soccer practice. That should not be a deadly act. In his memory, I urge Congress to prioritize safety. It is imperative that vehicles be designed to protect children like mine just trying to get around on our streets. All vehicles should have automatic emergency braking (AEB) with an ability to detect those walking and biking who are most vulnerable.”
read moreAs a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators continue deliberation on comprehensive infrastructure legislation, today Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), joined by U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), families of truck crash, distracted driving crash, child “hot car” and seatback failure victims, and safety, public health, law enforcement, bicyclist and consumer advocates asserted that the legislation must include vital motor vehicle safety upgrades that will prevent crashes and save lives before being sent to President Biden.
read moreAdvocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) hosted a virtual press conference on July 21, 2021 featuring U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and U.S. Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Chair Jan…
read moreAdvocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), joined by U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and U.S. Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), families of truck crash, distracted driving crash, child “hot car” and seatback failure victims, and safety, public health, law enforcement, bicyclist and consumer advocates will discuss needed safety provisions that should be included in any congressional legislation on transportation and infrastructure.
read moreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2021 CONTACT: Allison Kennedy / akennedy@saferoads.org / 360-281-7033 Statement of Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, in Opposition to Anti-Safety Amendment Adopted to the Fiscal Year 2022 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations…
read moreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2021 CONTACT: Allison Kennedy / akennedy@saferoads.org / 360-281-7033 Statement of Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, on the Letter Sent by 18 Attorneys General to Upgrade Child Passenger Safety Advocates for Highway and…
read moreDeaths are Up. Action is Needed Now. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates, last year, 38,680 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. This marks the largest projected increase in traffic fatalities since 2007 even while…
read moreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2021 CONTACT: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Allison Kennedy / akennedy@saferoads.org / 360-281-7033 Joint Statement from Consumer, Public Health, Safety, Labor, Bicyclist and Insurance Organizations and Traffic Crash Victim Advocates on Passage of the…
read moreAdvocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) commends the actions taken today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require auto manufacturers and operators of vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that are rated as Level 2 per the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and vehicles with more sophisticated automated driving system capability (SAE Levels 3 – 5) to report crashes.
read moreOn Wednesday, June 30th, 2021, at 1PM ET, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, will host a press conference to highlight the auto safety provisions included in the INVEST In America Act, the infrastructure package the U.S. House will vote on this week.
read moreThe Hot Cars Act (H.R. 3164) requires new vehicles to be equipped with inexpensive, existing technology that can detect the presence of an occupant inside when the engine is off and alert the driver and/or others to prevent hot car injuries and deaths.
read moreThe policies and provisions included in surface transportation reauthorization legislation will determine whether or not our country is put on the path toward significant reductions in motor vehicle crash fatalities and injuries for the next five years and beyond.
read moreThe policies and provisions included in this legislation will determine whether or not our country is put on the path toward significant reductions in motor vehicle crash fatalities and injuries for the next five years and beyond.
read moreVIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE – On June 15, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) joined by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA), families of truck crash, “hot car” and seatback failure victims, safety & consumer advocates, public…
read moreAdvocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) joined by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward Markey (D-MA) families of truck crash, “hot car” and seatback failure victims, safety & consumer advocates, public health experts and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will call on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to include urgently needed safety upgrades in surface transportation legislation scheduled for consideration by the Committee on June 16.
read moreThe Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act (H.R. 3684), passed by the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on a bipartisan vote, includes provisions to produce meaningful safety gains, especially in the areas of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) and protecting vulnerable road users including pedestrians and bicyclists.
read moreDistracted driving is a destructive and deadly danger on our roadways. With the evolution of smartphones and the expansion of digital communication platforms in the form of apps, cameras, social media, gaming and more, Ohio’s law needs to be updated to restrict device use and curb distraction behind the wheel. House Bill (H.B.) 283 would accomplish this goal, and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) urges the state legislature to take swift action to advance it.
read moreAs you consider surface transportation reauthorization legislation, we urge you to advance safety solutions that will significantly reduce the motor vehicle crash death and injury toll that imposes a needless emotional and economic burden on our country. You have a unique opportunity to make progress on overdue lifesaving measures and achieve consequential reductions in highway deaths and injuries.
read moreAdvocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, the Consumer Federation of America, Parents Against Tired Truckers, the Trauma Foundation and Truck Safety Coalition sent a safety scorecard to the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for amendments offered during markup of the INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684).
read moreThis legislation will improve safety on Ohio roads by upgrading the state’s distracted driving law to primary enforcement, curbing distracting viewing behind the wheel, and adding a ban on handheld mobile device use. Current state law is secondary enforcement which significantly hinders police efforts as they are required to first observe an additional violation before stopping the driver for texting while driving.
read moreMore than 25 organizations have signed up so far in 2021 to support the Protecting Roadside First Responders Act (S. 1386/H.R. 2868). Sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL, 17th), the bill would advance performance standards and requirements for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) including automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning (LDW) and blind spot detection (BSD).
read moreToday the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released legislation that takes affirmative steps towards a future of safer roads, drivers and vehicles; however, it also includes a significant carve-out from proven safety technology for special trucking interests. The “INVEST in America Act”, includes numerous provisions that if enacted have the potential to significantly reduce motor vehicle crashes and fatalities. Yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released data showing 38,680 crash deaths in 2020, representing a 7.2 percent increase and 13-year high despite a drop in the number of miles driven on U.S. roads last year. The data also showed alarming increases in reckless behavior such as speeding, impaired driving and lack of seat belt use.
read moreOn June 4, 2021, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a group letter to the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure about the “INVEST in America Act.” The letter was signed by groups representing auto safety, consumer rights and highway safety advocates, public health and the victims of fatal truck crashes.
read moreMajor companies have invested billions of dollars and ignored public warnings by knowledgeable auto executives that futuristic driverless cars will not be ready for public use for years to come.
read moreToday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new statistics showing that despite less traffic on our roadways in 2020, they were exceedingly deadly. An estimated 38,680 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020, the largest projected number of traffic fatalities since 2007. Right now with Congress considering a transportation bill, a strong safety title must be a critical component.
read moreThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), citing numerous studies, has stated that “age is a strong risk factor for truck crash involvement.” In fact, age is the most important factor in the high rate of involvement of younger CMV drivers in fatal crashes. The general pattern of over-involvement in fatal crashes for younger CMV drivers dominates all other factors. Studies of young CMV drivers show that as the age of the driver decreases, large truck fatal crash involvement rates increase.
read moreAs leaders of organizations representing consumer, public health and safety groups, disability rights, child passenger safety, truck safety and traffic crash victim advocates, and law enforcement, medical, and bicycling interests, we are writing to share our concerns about an amendment which may be offered to the U.S. Innovation & Competition Act (S. 1260) by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) that would allow the public sale of tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles (AVs) exempt from meeting existing safety standards.
read moreDrunk driving is a deadly and costly threat to New York families. In 2019, there were 931 fatalities on state roads and twenty-nine percent of those deaths (266) involved drunk driving above .08 percent BAC, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic crashes also cost New York taxpayers more than $15.2 billion annually. Drunk driving is a serious problem that requires urgent attention and action. Advancing .05 percent BAC legislation will deter dangerous drinking and driving across all levels of impairment as well as curb needless highway deaths and injuries that threaten the safety of everyone – New York families and visitors.
read moreThis legislation will improve safety on Louisiana roads by broadening the current prohibition on drivers from using wireless communication devices to include distracting viewing of non-navigational content and manual use. Considering the prevalence of distracted driving crashes, this legislation is critical, responsive and timely.
read moreFully driverless cars may have a future potential to reduce the carnage on our roads, expand mobility and address other transportation and environmental challenges. To do so, commonsense, lifesaving solutions and safeguards can and must be implemented now. While it is true that motor vehicles crashes are often caused by human behavior, it is essential to remember that it is also humans who are developing AVs.
read moreOn May 13, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the Nevada state Senate in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 118. The measure would require that children remain rear facing in a child safety seat until age two or older and would add a minimum height requirement for children younger than age six to attain before they transition from use of a booster seat to a seat belt.
read moreOn May 12, 2021, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the Maine legislature’s Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety urging the Committee to oppose a provision in Legislative Document (LD) 1479 to limit enforcement of Maine’s seat belt law from primary to secondary.
read moreSince 1990, nearly 1,000 children have died in hot cars. “Children will continue to die in hot cars until technology is utilized to detect and alert others of their presence inside a vehicle. Education alone will not solve this problem because no one thinks a hot car tragedy can happen to them. That is precisely why technology is necessary. The fact that these systems exist to save the lives of children, but are not being included in all new vehicles is inconceivable,” stated Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Car Safety.
read moreAs leading public health and medical, traffic safety and child safety advocacy organizations, the New Hampshire Emergency Nurses Association, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), and Kids and Car Safety, urge you to support the version of House Bill (HB) 251 prior to being amended in the Senate Transportation Committee to upgrade New Hampshire’s child occupant protection statute. The amendment would weaken child passenger safety efforts by conducting a study in place of needed improvements.
read moreRed light and speed cameras are powerful enforcement tools that have been shown to reduce crashes, but programs must be carefully implemented to maintain community support. A new checklist released on May 6, 2021 by AAA, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Safety Council (NSC) can serve as a roadmap for communities that are establishing or expanding automated enforcement programs.
read moreInexpensive technology to detect the presence of an unattended child in a vehicle and alert to their presence exists today. The Hot Cars Act, which directs the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a rule to make this technology standard equipment in new cars, will soon be reintroduced and Congress should take immediate action to advance it.
read moreThe Protecting Roadside First Responders Act directs the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop safety standards for these crash avoidance technologies and require them in new vehicles. Currently, these technologies are predominantly available on luxury models or as part of expensive upgrade packages. The bill addresses this inequity by requiring them across the board.
read moreFully driverless cars may have a future potential to reduce the carnage on our roads and expand mobility, but commonsense, lifesaving solutions can and must be implemented now. During this transformational time in surface transportation history, we should pay heed to Benjamin Franklin’s infamous quote from 1736, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
read moreWe applaud Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Rick Scott (R-FL) for their leadership and dedication to curb impaired driving by introducing the RIDE Act. This bipartisan legislation answers the urgent call for innovative solutions to meaningfully reduce the more than 10,000 deaths caused by drunk driving each year.
read moreAs a driver, bicyclist or pedestrian, it’s nearly impossible to escape being next to drivers whose eyes are glued to screens instead of the road. While public awareness may be heightened during Distracted Driving Awareness Month, distracted driving is a constant, widespread occurrence – a public safety crisis on our roadways.
read moreOn April 15, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the Michigan House Judiciary Committee urging the removal of a provision in House Bill (HB) 4277 to permit an exemption for device use in autonomous vehicles (AV), and supporting HB 4277 and HB 4279. The legislation would improve safety on Michigan roads by broadening the current prohibition on texting while operating a motor vehicle to include social media engagement and distracting viewing or transmitting of video and manual use (HB 4277) and restricting hands free use for novice drivers (HB 4279).
read moreOn April 15, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the California State Assembly Committee on Transportation in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 550. The legislation would improve safety on California roads by permitting the use of automated speed enforcement systems, otherwise known as speed cameras.
read moreOn April 15, 2021 a group letter was sent to President Biden urging an end to the unsafe practice of federal employees using unrepaired recalled vehicles and calling for a prohibition on the public sale of unrepaired recalled federal vehicles.
read moreToday, the FCC granted waivers to allow equipment manufacturers and automakers to install radar-based technology that can detect and alert to the presence of a child in a vehicle, in some instances movement as subtle as a baby breathing.
read moreOn April 14, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) submitted a group letter for the record to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations in support of a robust budget for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
read moreIn January 2021 Ralph Nader released a report marking the 55th anniversary of his book, “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.” The report provides a detailed blueprint for reducing motor vehicle crashes, fatalities and injuries…
read moreAs the Board stated during its meeting on the new Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements (MWL), all of NTSB’s recommendations are science-based, data-driven and deserving of implementation, but those selected for the Most Wanted List represent areas that are “ripe for action.”
read moreThis measure requires that children remain rear facing in a child safety seat until age two or older. Children should remain in appropriate safety seats as long as possible, until they have outgrown the seat specifications. When children are properly restrained in a child safety seat that is suitable for their age and size, their chance of being killed or seriously injured in a car crash is greatly reduced.
read moreOn April 7, 2021 the New Jersey Star-Ledger published a letter to the editor by Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) and New Jersey Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D-31st), on the issue of distracted driving.
read moreApril Fools’ Day marks the start of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, but distracted driving is no joke. It remains a leading contributor to motor vehicle crashes, deaths and injuries. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) calls for decisive action on a comprehensive strategy to curb distraction behind the wheel.
read moreWe look forward to working with you to ensure that every person in every state on every road for every mode of travel will be provided equitable transportation protections. Meaningfully addressing the current inequitable physical, emotional, and economic toll of motor vehicle crashes is achievable now.
read moreOn March 30, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the South Carolina House Judiciary Committee in support of House Bill (HB) 3360/ Senate Bill (SB) 248 to upgrade South Carolina’s distracted driving law. The legislation would broaden the current prohibition on drivers from using wireless communication devices to read, write or send text messages while operating a motor vehicle to include distracting viewing and manual use.
read moreOn March 30, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the California Assembly Committee on Appropriations opposing Assembly Bill (AB) 122. This legislation would allow bicyclists to proceed through an intersection controlled by a stop sign without stopping if no vehicle is in the intersection or constitutes an immediate hazard to the cyclists while they are in the intersection.
read moreAdvocates lauds the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for advancing numerous safety improvements in the Moving Forward Act as well as those Members who introduced stand-alone traffic safety bills last session. We urge the Committee to once again take action on the overdue and needed safety solutions as well as additional upgrades to accomplish our shared goal of preventing motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries and achieving safety equity for all.
read moreAdvocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) urges you to prioritize the safety of all road users as you consider policies and legislation investing in infrastructure.
read moreOn March 24, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government calling for changes to improve Senate Bill (SB) 15, which would lower the age of entry into the state’s graduated driver licensing (GDL) law from 15.5 to 15 years.
read moreAdvocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) applauds Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI, 12th), Kathleen Rice (D-NY, 4th) and David McKinley (R-WV, 1st) for their leadership to significantly and substantially reduce the avoidable toll of deaths and injuries caused by drunk driving on our nation’s roadways. Today, they introduced The Honoring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate Drunk Driving Act (HALT Drunk Driving Act), based on language in the Moving Forward Act (116th Congress, H.R. 2) which was passed with bipartisan support by the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2020. The bill requires the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a rule five years after enactment compelling new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with advanced drunk driving prevention technology.
read moreOn March 22, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter in support of Senate Bill (SB) 20 to the North Carolina Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate. The legislation would improve safety on North Carolina roads by broadening the current prohibition on drivers from using wireless communication devices to read, write or send text messages while operating a motor vehicle to include distracting viewing of non-navigational content and manual use.
read moreOn March 17, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a letter to the leadership of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in support of House Bill (HB) 251, which would strengthen New Hampshire’s child occupant protection statute. This measure requires that children remain rear facing in a child safety seat until age two or older.
read moreOn March 17, 2021 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) sent a joint letter to the North Dakota House Transportation Committee in support of Senate Bill (SB) 2121 which would upgrade North Dakota’s seat belt law to primary enforcement for all occupants. The letter was co-signed by Advocates, the North Dakota Public Health Association, the North Dakota Emergency Nurses Association, and KidsandCars.org.
read moreSB 2121 upgrades North Dakota’s seat belt law to primary enforcement for all occupants. Current law only requires seat belt use by adults in the front seat and is secondary enforcement. Last session, which was in 2019, a similar bill passed the Senate but failed in the House. SB 2121 passed the Senate (28 Y, 18N) on January 20, 2021. The bill is now scheduled for a hearing in the House Transportation Committee on March 18.
read moreThe legislation would improve safety on Iowa roads by broadening the current prohibition on drivers from using wireless communication devices to read, write or send text messages while operating a motor vehicle to include distracting viewing of non-navigational content whether accomplished handheld or hands-free and restrict manual use.
read moreSupport Senate Bill (SB) 754 in Hawaii. Lowering the limit of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) while driving to .05% will deter drunk driving and save lives on Hawaii roads.
read moreThe preliminary 2020 motor vehicle crash fatality figures released today by the National Safety Council (NSC) confirm what has been widely reported throughout the country – despite people driving less frequently, more are being killed on our roadways. It is tragic that we have proven “vaccines” that could be significantly bringing down these numbers but they are not being implemented.
read moreToday, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, issuing a grade of “D” for U.S. roads and “C” for bridges. Since its last report in 2017, the grade for roads has remained at a dismal “D,” and the grade for bridges holds the disappointing distinction of being the only category in which the grade dropped (from a C+). This is not a “refrigerator-worthy” report card. It is time for our nation’s leaders to “hit the books” and advance proven solutions to upgrade our infrastructure which will also result in improving safety for all road users.
read more