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Statement for Attribution to Barbara Harsha, Executive Director
of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)
Yesterday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
introduced H.R. 3, a bill to reauthorize surface transportation
programs, including federal highway safety grant programs that
address the behavior of drivers and other road users. GHSA members
administer these programs.
GHSA applauds the House action and urges swift passage of a reauthorization
bill.
In particular, GHSA supports:
- The
increased funding levels for behavioral programs in H.R. 3,
compared to last year's bill enacted by the House. Beginning
in FY 2006, the proposed funding will provide more than $200
million a year for the base Section 402 program -- a funding
level the program has not received since 1980. It also provides
significant funding for occupant protection and impaired driving
incentives and authorizes enough funding so that states can make
significant improvements in their highway safety information
system hardware and software.
- The
new occupant protection incentive program that encourages states
to increase safety belt usage to at least 85 percent. Currently,
the national average is 80 percent.
- The
new impaired driving incentive program, which contains updated
eligibility criteria encouraging implementation of the latest
research on how to effectively reduce impaired driving.
- The
data improvement program that acknowledges the importance of
safety data for state decision-making and provides resources
for states to improve their data systems.
GHSA is also pleased the Committee did not include a Bush Administration
proposal to allow $100 million in safety belt incentive funds to
be annually transferred into highway construction programs. Such
a provision would jeopardize nearly 20 percent of behavioral highway
safety grant funds -- funding that GHSA members depend on to enforce
safety belt laws and to purchase paid media to publicize state
and local enforcement efforts. If the Bush Administration's proposal
were to be enacted, states would be encouraged to pass primary
seat belt laws but then not have the funding to enforce and publicize
these laws. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
and state experiences indicate this combination of enforcement
and publicity are key to increasing belt use and saving lives.
For these reasons, GHSA supports the Committee's approach rather
than the Bush Administration's.
GHSA pledges to work with the Committee to ensure that the behavioral
highway safety portions of the bill meet the needs of states and
that these translate into continued progress in saving lives and
reducing injuries on our nation's roadways.
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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. Contact GHSA at (202) 789-0942 for more information. |
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