Washington, D.C.- Louisianan Colonel Jim Champagne has been elected the new chair of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the organization that represents state highway safety agencies. Colonel Champagne announced today that at the top of his agenda is continuing the organization's focus on the problem of excessive speeding by drivers and the significant impact it has on highway fatalities. Impaired driving and seat belt programs remain critical GHSA priorities. Colonel Champagne also plans to focus on the pending reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, GHSA efforts to enhance state planning and performance as well as the issues of drowsy and distracted driving.

Speed

First and foremost on Colonel Champagne's agenda is achieving a greater national focus on the problem of excessive speeding by drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2003, speed was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes resulting in 13,380 lives being needlessly lost. Colonel Champagne says, "As a nation, we must start focusing more on the problem of speeding. Speed must join impaired driving and occupant protection and become part of 'The Big Three' in highway safety. We are simply not going to achieve a significant reduction in highway fatalities without elevating speed to a national highway safety priority." The Association continues to urge NHTSA to actively endorse speed and red light camera programs, conduct more speed-related research, and develop an anti-speeding communications strategy.

To draw more attention to the issue and help the federal and state governments understand the best countermeasures, GHSA, in cooperation with its federal partners, will hold a national research conference on speeding in the summer of 2005. The conference will bring together top researchers to discuss the issue and make recommendations.

Colonel Champagne speaks at the recent GHSA Annual Meeting

Transportation Reauthorization

Colonel Champagne says the renewal of federal highway safety programs and funding for states is a top priority because, "If we do not receive adequate funding, every single lifesaving activity we do will be threatened." The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which authorized over $500 million dollars a year in behavioral highway safety funding, expired in September of 2003. Congress has been unable to renew the legislation resulting in much uncertainty for states. Congress recently enacted an extension to TEA-21 providing funding for states until May 31 of 2005. According to Colonel Champagne, "GHSA was generally pleased with both the Senate and House version of reauthorization and we have been extremely disappointed that a final bill was not passed. To develop strong and effective highway safety programs, states need to have certainty about funding so they can hire staff and develop long-term strategies. The continued uncertainty makes it much more difficult to have an impact on highway fatalities, injuries and crashes."

Enhancing State Planning and Training

Colonel Champagne says he will continue GHSA's focus on developing tools that assist state highway safety agencies in planning and evaluating of their programs. The Association is also working to help make sure states receive additional highway safety training and expertise. To meet these goals, GHSA has recently developed a guideline and template for the state highway safety performance plans and a similar guideline to help states in their annual reporting process. These tools give states a basic guideline to ensure there is consistency in state plans and annual reports. Champagne says the Association will continue it's annual training program for new members and also seek out new training opportunities such as next month's national forum that will update states on the latest marketing and public relations strategies for reducing highway deaths.

Cell Phones and Distracted Driving

Colonel Champagne continues to be concerned about the hazards of cell phone use while driving but he wants to ensure that the national focus remains on issues that have a clear research basis and that cause an overwhelming majority of deaths on our highways. Limited funding requires highway safety priorities to focus on problems supported by persuasive data. Until more concrete data is available, GHSA will continue to urge drivers not to talk and drive (with or without a hands-free device) while steering the national discussion more toward the broadest and most serious highway safety issues.

Drowsy Driving

Colonel Champagne says he will use his new position to bring attention to one of the emerging highway safety issues-drowsy driving and its impact on law enforcement. Colonel Champagne says, "In my state of Louisiana and around the country, we continue to ask more and more of law enforcement. This results in an increase in overtime and our police officers simply are not getting enough sleep and this deprivation may cause them to crash or at a minimum be strained and less effective. As a former trooper and later a chief of staff for the Louisiana State Police, this is also a personal issue for me and one that must be addressed if we are to truly support our country's law enforcement personnel."

Background

Colonel Champagne has served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and Governor's Highway Safety Representative since 1996. He has been an active member of GHSA and served as Vice Chair from 2002 until his recent acceleration to chair. Colonel Champagne's leadership has not only been recognized by GHSA but by a variety of national organizations. Most recently, he received a government leadership award from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving and a Highway Safety Partners Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

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A more complete biography and a photo of Colonel Champagne is available online at www.ghsa.org.