Contact: Jonathan Adkins
or Barbara Harsha at
(202) 789-0942 or (202) 439-0211

WASHINGTON, DC---The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) announced today that it has been selected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop tools to help states assess their Child Passenger Safety (CPS) programs and to help create strategic CPS programs for the future. NHTSA is providing funding for this new effort.

The new assessment initiative comes at a time when the state and federal governments have made tremendous progress in the CPS arena. The number of children killed in traffic crashes in 2001 (the most recent year for which data is available) was the lowest since the government started tracking traffic deaths. NHTSA reported 2,658 children under 16 died in 2001, down 5.4% from the previous record low of 2,811 set in 2000.

The assessment tool is particularly timely, given the severe budget challenges faced by states. Most state budgets are facing deficits and President Bush's proposed Fiscal Year 2004 budget provides no increase in highway safety grants awarded to states. Despite this, the states must assume new responsibilities such as paying for CPS training materials. The assessment tool is anticipated to greatly assist states in their efforts to continue their progress in addressing CPS issues.

"The states are extremely proud of their success in saving children's lives through effective CPS programs, but given the current budget climate it's even more necessary than ever to make sure the programs are as effectively managed as possible," says Barbara Harsha, GHSA's executive director. She continues, "This new assessment tool will help states evaluate their programs and utilize their resources in the most effective and strategic manner possible. States are really stretched and this new tool will make a difficult situation a little easier."

GHSA will assemble a panel of experts to oversee the project's implementation. The panel will likely consist of a state highway safety coordinator, a state CPS coordinator, a CPS advocate, a member of a national CPS organization and a NHTSA representative. The group will develop the assessment mechanism and participate in a pilot test. Two states will be selected as pilot test states for the new tool, selected from a pool of states that have expressed interest in piloting the project. An assessment team will conduct a two or three day assessment using the draft assessment materials. The team will make recommendations for any improvements and submit those to the states. The assessment tool is anticipated to be available for use by all State Highway Safety Offices this fall.

According to Harsha, who is also directing the new project, "GHSA is very excited and honored to lead this new initiative. It's a great example of state and federal governments working together to provide tools that make roadways safer."

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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, Puerto Rico and the Indian Nation. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Prior to September 2002, GHSA was known as the National Association of Governors' Highway Safety Representatives (NAGHSR). For more information, contact GHSA at (202) 789-0942 or visit www.statehighwaysafety.org.