U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. Rep. Don Young, Chairman

Contact:  Steve Hansen (Director of Communications)  (202) 225-7749
 Email: Steve.Hansen@mail.house.gov
     Justin Harclerode (Deputy Director of Communications)  (202) 226-8767
  Email: Justin.Harclerod@mail.house.gov
To:  National Desk/Transportation Reporter
June 27, 2002

Safety Officials Outline Highway Safety Improvements For TEA 21 Reauthorization;
Highway Accidents Resulted In 41,730 Deaths In 2001 & Have Annual Economic Costs Of $230.6 Billion

        Washington, D.C. - Transportation officials and highway safety advocates appeared before a Congressional subcommittee today to present ideas for improving highway safety through reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21), legislation that authorizes the federal highway aid program.

        “As we move toward the reauthorization of TEA 21, we must consider how effective the approaches to highway safety within TEA 21 work,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee.

        According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) figures, 41,730 people were killed on our nation’s highways in 2001, down slightly from the previous year.  The rate of fatalities per miles traveled has also improved, though the improvement rate has decreased in recent years.  The fatality rate per 100 million miles traveled in 2001 was 1.5, while the rates from 10, 20 and 30 years ago were 1.9, 3.2 and 4.7 respectively.

        “Clearly this number is still too high,” said Petri.

“Upgrading Roads Is One Of The Most Effective Methods Of Improving Safety”

        The Subcommittee called on today’s witnesses to provide their unique perspectives on the issue of highway safety and safety program delivery.  As TEA 21 reauthorization nears, the Subcommittee will look for innovative approaches to safety programming in order to cut the number of highway fatalities.  Safety improvements through traditional means will also continue to play an important role in reauthorization.

        “Upgrading roads is one of the most effective methods of improving safety, and an ideal method of helping to save lives,” said Petri.

        “It is also important to note that the highest rate of fatalities occurs on rural two lane roads with no center divider.  Adding stripes and dividing lines and better signage advance safety substantially, and we need to increase this effort as well.  While it may not be the safety approach that gains the most attention, it is nevertheless important.”

        NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge noted that, in addition to the unacceptable toll in human lives taken, the highway accident problem is compounded by significant economic ramifications.

        “The economic impact of these crashes on America’s roadways has reached $230.6 billion a year – an average annual cost of $820 for every person living in the United States,” said Runge.  “Nearly 75 percent of the costs are paid by those not directly involved – primarily through insurance premiums, taxes and travel delay.”

        Frederick Wright, Executive Director of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), discussed some of the most dangerous safety areas on our highways.

        “First, the highest fatality rates are in rural areas.  Well over half of all fatalities occur on two-lane roads.  The fatality rate on rural local roads is about three times the rural Interstate fatality rate.  Of two-lane road fatalities, single vehicle run-off-the-road crashes accounted for 41 percent of fatalities in 2000.”

        According to Wright, FHWA has focused safety efforts particularly on speed-related crashes, intersection crashes, and pedestrian/cycler crashes, in addition to the single vehicle run-off-the-road crashes.

Witnesses Discuss Potential Safety Improvements

        Witnesses offered various means to potentially improve the quality of safety programs and decrease the number of highway accidents.  Some solutions focused on improving driver behavior.  Administrator Runge stated that the quickest way to reduce highway deaths significantly is to increase seat belt usage.  According to Runge, the seat belt use rate as of one year ago was 73 percent, and the use of seat belts save approximately 12,000 lives every year.  An estimated 9,200 annual deaths occur unnecessarily, however, as a result of the 27 percent that do not use seat belts.

        Drunk and impaired driving remains a substantial problem on our highways.  Witnesses urged continuing efforts to address impaired driving, particularly the problem of getting repeat offenders off the highways.

        Other potential recommendations suggested by witnesses focused on highway infrastructure and funding: modernizing and widening roads, properly marking highways, more safety research and data, and improving project delivery through adequate, stable sources of funding to States and project streamlining to ensure that safer roadways can be constructed efficiently.

        Marsha Lembke of the National Association of Governors’ Highway Safety Representatives urged the consolidation of highway safety programs.  “The explosion of programs has caused the federal approach to highway safety to be duplicative and very fragmented,” said Lembke.  “This has made it difficult for states to address the behavioral aspects of highway safety in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.  Clearly, consolidation of grant programs is needed.”

        Lembke urged against one possible route to highway safety: mandating penalties for states that do not enact safety provisions.  “Sanctions are often counterproductive.  With fewer highway funds, the conditions of highways deteriorate and become less safe.  Withholding funds only exacerbates the safety problem.  Sanctions penalize the state broadly without specifically targeting the entity that perpetrated the safety problem.

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