Americans Urged to Travel Safe and Smart - Inside and Outside the Vehicle

    SACRAMENTO, Calif.--May 19, 2003--Riddled with escalating gas prices and economic, wartime, and now health uncertainty due to SARS, many Americans have been staying close to home this winter. As summer approaches, however, this season of uncertainty is about to change. Tourism experts predict the pent up demand for travel that has been brewing is about to spew forth onto the nation's highways in unprecedented numbers and that also means overloaded vehicles, flying debris inside and outside of the car, and rising concerns about passenger safety.
    "A vehicle that's over-packed can be a mobile death trap for the passengers inside and everyone else on the highway," says Sports Rack Vehicle Outfitters CEO Greg Bauer. "Everyone knows about seatbelts and car seats, but inside the vehicle we guide people to properly secure mobile video systems, use pet restraints, stow heavy cargo either in the trunk or low behind the rear seat. Outside, we emphasize the proper weight and use of car racks, tie-downs and cargo carriers."
    Tourism officials anticipate the average American will venture out about 300 miles from home this summer to take in regional attractions, mountains, beaches and parks. Scores of tourists traveling in the family car packed poorly with luggage and recreational gear can cause dangerous conditions: obstructed vision, dropped cargo, and highway accidents.
    Released in April, the U.S. Department of Transportation's preliminary estimate of 2002 highway fatalities indicates highway incidents continued to rise to 42,850, an increase of 734 over 2001. The death toll reached 10,626 in rollover crashes involving sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks or 53% of the increase in traffic fatalities. Continuing education about safe highway driving and personal responsibility is needed to drive these statistics downward.
    "If we are ever going to reduce the needless deaths on the nation's highways, we're going to need the American public to bear greater responsibility for their personal safety," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta.
    There are also 16 SportsRack stores in the Western U.S., and at SportsRack.com, consumers can download the Smart & Safe Travel Checklist with seven vehicle loading tips, chat with a professional outfitter, or purchase the right safety accessories from the online catalog before they take that road trip.
    So what's motivating people to hit the highways? Travel editor for NBC's Today Show Peter Greenberg puts it this way, "There's still a lot of vacation hesitancy out there, and for the next three months, many U.S. consumers are opting for just plain comfort food and comfort travel - or macaroni and cheese and the family station wagon."
    And the U.S. tourism industry is zeroing in on this trend with numerous states promoting the beauty of their rugged outdoors for family drive vacations. According to California's communications director for tourism Fred Sater, "Most destinations throughout California will be focusing on the drive market here and also in neighboring states."
    Colorado tourism officials are targeting in-state and regional customers to stay close to home and "Rediscover Colorado." In Utah where there's a halo effect from the 2002 winter Olympics, the emphasis is now on the "Great American Road Trip." Utah tourism's media relations director Ken Kraus explains, "With so much confusion this year, we think families are saying, 'It's been a while, but this is the year to take that road trip together.'"
    Editors' Note: Visit www.SportsRack.com to print the vehicle safety pre-trip checklist or request the jpeg photo, "This or This" - of family car packing dilemma or car packed safe and smart.