Earlier this week, I spoke with members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Now, we at DOT wholeheartedly share the Chiefs' commitment to making our roads--from super-highways to rural byways--as safe as possible for all types of motorists.
Two of the biggest threats to any community are crime and traffic crashes, and these folks are dedicated to stopping both. So, if I could only say one thing to this organization's members, it would be "Thank you."
And I did thank them for supporting our core safety programs, like "Click it or Ticket," our seat-belt awareness campaign. With the backing of law enforcement, we are getting the message out about seat-belts, and we're seeing results, too. More than eight out of ten Americans are wearing seat belts in cars. Seven out of ten truck drivers are buckling up, and that's a record high for commercial drivers.
With safety campaigns, we know that education alone can't do the job; we need the valuable enforcement effort these law officers provide and the seat-belt and drunk-driving checkpoints they conduct that really help get people to drive more safely.
Without that enforcement, we would not have been able to reduce traffic deaths in 2009 to the lowest overall number since 1954 and the lowest per mile rate on record.
We'll be needing their efforts again as we work to stop distracted driving.
A host of states have already passed laws banning the use of cell phones and texting behind the wheel, but that number is still too low. As I noted last month on these pages, DOT has crafted some sample legislation to help encourage those states who have yet to get in gear on this. We are also seeking $50 million in next year's budget to develop incentive programs to move those states along.
Now it's time to consider the enforcement part of the distracted driving equation. So in Syracuse, NY, and Hartford, CT, we are piloting a program that combines education with high-visibility enforcement of state law.
And that's where the Chiefs come in. I know that stepped-up enforcement requires police resources, and we appreciate that. But it's worth noting that in places with high-visibility traffic enforcement, crime is also reduced, so high-profile enforcement does pay additional dividends.
I also know that law officers want to protect their communities, and laws against texting or talking on a cell phone while driving give the law enforcement community the tools they need to carry out that invaluable mission.
We want the Chiefs of Police in every state to have that legal tool. We want those laws in every state. And we want to thank law officers everywhere for their service.
High visability law enforcement of the cell phone use and texting laws are what is needed combined with a great education campaign like that used to help keep people from drinking and driving. I see sometimes still today people driving the car and holding a cell phone talking at the sae time. But this is very much less now that we have had our cwell phone law on the books for the past year. There should be a study done though that looks at theuse of hands-free phones while driving and what their use impact is on accidents. Under the California law, as it is now, using a hands-free phone while driving is legal. The seatbelt enforcement has been very effective here, too. One weak spot on this is the truck and equipment operators at the nation's mines. I see reports last year half a dozen or alittle more of accidents on mine service roads that are single vehicle accidents involving rollovers. In all the reported cases, the dump truck driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was throwed out of the cab and then hit or ranover by the truck. In one case an over-the-road coal transport truck driver was not wearing a seatbelt had a single vehicle accident on a rural county road and was throwed out of the cab and killed. The mines need lots of attention given to them on the seatbelt and cell phone issues. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.
Posted by: Michael E. Bailey | March 13, 2010 at 09:11 PM