Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is Seeking
"SURVIVOR ADVOCATES"
to Curtail Red Light Running and Speed-Related Crashes

Each year, more than 1.8 million intersection crashes occur throughout the nation. Of those, about 200,000 are due to red light running -- resulting in about 1,000 deaths and 150,000 injuries.

Speed-related crashes resulted in 12,350 fatalities in 2000, representing 29.5% of all motor vehicle fatalities. Additionally, 39,000 people received serious-to-critical injuries; 71,000 people received moderate injuries; and 593,000 people received minor injuries.

WHO IS ADVOCATES FOR HIGHWAY AND AUTO SAFETY?

Founded in 1989, "Advocates" is an alliance of consumer, health, law enforcement and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America's roads safer. Advocates encourages the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that save lives and reduce injuries. By joining its resources with others, Advocates helps build coalitions to increase participation of a wide array of groups in public policy initiatives which advance highway and auto safety. Advocates' president is also a member of the Advisory Board of the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running. For more information, please visit www.stopredlightrunning.com.

WHAT IS THE SURVIVOR ADVOCATES NETWORK?

Since its inception, Advocates has worked with "survivor advocates" to advance and protect highway safety laws throughout the country. These individuals have suffered the personal consequences of motor vehicle crashes and have decided to work to protect others from the pain they have had to endure. Advocates is currently building a network of survivor advocates who have either survived a red light running or speed-related crash or lost a loved one because of a red light running or speed-related crash.

These individuals can become as involved as they would like in efforts to curtail red light running and/or speeding. No previous advocacy experience is needed, although they will be asked to support legislation expanding the use of red light and/or speed cameras as one of the tools that can be used to curtail these dangerous driving behaviors and to speak favorably about photo enforcement. Advocates will work with these individuals to prepare, assist and even "coach" them for advocacy involvement if necessary. Some of the activities in which survivor advocates can choose to participate are: writing letters to legislators; testifying before state legislative committees; speaking to news reporters on the phone; writing letters to the editors of local papers; serving as a spokesperson at media events; and working with other survivor advocates throughout the country.

Advocates is currently focusing its efforts on identifying and working with survivor advocates primarily in states that have been actively considering or are currently using automated enforcement. Some of these sites include: Arizona; California; Colorado; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Maryland; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Virginia; and, Washington. However, Advocates is interested in working with ALL interested individuals throughout the country.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

If you know of anyone who has been involved in a red light running or speed-related crash or who has a family member, friend or acquaintance who was injured or killed in a red light running or speed related crash and might be interested in talking with Advocates about our efforts, please contact:

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Phone: 202-408-1711
Fax: 202-408-1699
E-mail: advocates@saferoads.org

All discussions and information will be kept confidential. Please pass this notice on to anyone who might be interested.
Thank you for your help and cooperation.

For more information contact Jeremy Gunderson at (202)408-1711