Skip to main content

Americans want more action and enforcement to improve highway safety

At a time when there is intense debate about the role of government, a majority of Americans support additional laws and want more action by government officials to improve highway safety, a new survey released yesterday by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety claims.
May 16, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
At a time when there is intense debate about the role of government, a majority of Americans support additional laws and want more action by government officials to improve highway safety, a new survey released yesterday by the 477 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety claims.

"Despite shrinking federal and state transportation budgets and a public debate over the most appropriate role of government, it's clear that a majority of Americans want government officials to do more – not less – about highway safety," said 4939 AAA president and CEO Bob Darbelnet. "From passing and enforcing laws about teen drivers and distracted driving to programmes that improve the safety of our roadways and add safety equipment to vehicles, there are many steps government can take to reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths in the US."

The survey was released just ahead of the United Nations' official launch of the 'Decade of Action for Road Safety' campaign, which aims to stabilise and then reduce global road deaths by 2020. Major economies of the G20, including the United States as well as leading developing countries and public institutions like the  2000 World Bank and the 1819 World Health Organisation, have all endorsed the Decade of Action.

"At a time when more and more U.S. highway safety agencies are adopting "Toward Zero Death" goals, it is very heartening to see motorist support for more, not less action by government to make our roads safer," added J. Peter Kissinger, president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, that commissioned this survey.

The survey shows that a majority of Americans are in agreement that the US needs more laws to prevent people from doing dangerous things while driving; that their respective state government needs to do more to make their roads safer;  that all new drivers should be required to complete a driver education course before they can get a driver's license; that both auto manufacturers and the federal government need to do more to make cars safer; while 70 per cent of Americans agree that driving safety laws should be enforced more strictly with only six per cent disagreeing.

Full details of the survey are available at %$Linker: External 0 0 0 oLinkExternal www.AAAFoundation.org. AAAFoundation false http://aaafoundation.org./ false false%>

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New traffic modelling software release
    January 31, 2012
    TSS-Transport Simulation Systems has announced the release of Aimsun 7 which takes the previous version's ability to integrate static traffic assignment, microscopic and mesoscopic modelling and then ramps up the concept of integration to a whole new level with the introduction of the hybrid simulator. TSS claims this eagerly awaited tool has long been at the top of the traffic modelling wish list and allows users to model large scale networks mesoscopically while zooming in microscopically on any areas tha
  • Polis: the role of cities and regions on road vehicle automation
    January 31, 2018
    Local and regional authorities and public transport providers need to play a more prominent role in the development of policy around autonomous vehicles (AVs), according to a new paper from Brussels-based Polis. Called Road Vehicle Automation and Cities and Regions, the study aims to raise awareness of AV developments and their potential mobility impact among city and regional administrations and to assist them in setting transport policies. In addition, Polis intends to increase awareness of transport
  • DTV implements long-term cycle monitoring
    February 28, 2014
    B-Riders (www.b-riders.nl) is the first project ever to closely follow a large group of bike users (2,500 participants) over a long period of time – one year. A highly innovative bike tracking system was developed, and implemented, featuring an app that automatically registers all trips 24/7. The system then autonomously analyses trips and assigns them into categories - foot, car, public transport or bike.
  • ITS World Congress preliminary programme and registration now online
    June 8, 2015
    The preliminary programme of the 22nd ITS World Congress is now available online. In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies and three Plenary Sessions, highlights of this year’s event include the Ministerial Roundtable, two high-level technology summits, three general public sessions and a public afternoon open to all. Download the programme for details of the interactive timetable, sessions, speakers, social and associated events and the more than 20 demonstrations that are planned during the Co