May
16, 2005
Dear
Senator:
Advocates
for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), a coalition of consumer,
health, safety, medical and insurance organizations, strongly
supports provisions in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) reauthorization bill adopted by the Senate Commerce,
Science and Transportation Committee last month that would provide
incentive grants to states that enact a primary enforcement
seat belt law.
We
strongly oppose any amendment to H.R.3, the surface transportation
reauthorization bill, offered by Senator Allen (R-VA) and Senator
Ensign (R-NV), to strike or weaken these provisions.
Currently,
29 states still need to adopt a primary enforcement seat belt
law. Use rates in states with these effective laws are higher
than in states with secondary enforcement provisions, resulting
in many more lives saved and injuries avoided. Only one state
adopted primary enforcement in 2004, and none have done so in
2005.
The
Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's language provides
significant funding to states to encourage enactment of primary
enforcement laws, will encourage more states to act, and will
lead to fewer deaths and injuries on our nation's roads and
highways. In addition to focusing on the need for better laws
and setting a higher bar for national seat belt use of 90%,
the Committee provisions provide generous incentive grant funding
for states that already have primary enforcement seat belt laws.
The
Allen/Ensign amendment places no emphasis on the need for adoption
of primary enforcement seat belt laws, which are necessary if
the nation's seat belt use rates are to rise to 90% or above,
the level enjoyed by most other industrialized nations throughout
the world.
Please
oppose the Allen/Ensign amendment and support the important
seat belt incentive provisions already adopted by the Senate
Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Thank you for
your consideration.
Sincerely,
Judith
Lee Stone
President
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
