California's Top Traffic Safety Issues Examined at 2007 Summit
SAN DIEGO--The state’s top traffic safety and transportation officials, along with law enforcement and advocates from throughout the state, are meeting in San Diego this week to discuss California’s top traffic safety concerns, share best practices and generate innovative ideas for improving safety on roadways in the Golden State. The Summit also marks the 40th anniversary for the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which was created when Governor Ronald Reagan signed the California Traffic Safety Program into existence in 1967.
“We have our eye on the ball,” said OTS director Christopher J. Murphy. “We know without a doubt that the two most pressing issues that are impacting our ability to prevent the loss of life and injuries are seat belts and impaired driving. And we’re focusing our energies and resources on enforcement and programs that will have the greatest impact in those areas.”
Forty years ago, California’s traffic fatality rate per miles driven was nearly four times what it is today. Few people were using seat belts and penalties for drunk driving were minor. Public awareness campaigns, stiffer laws, and increasing law enforcement efforts have made great strides since then. Many of the ideas that have gone into practice and made a difference have come from previous Summits.
California’s 2006 seat belt use rate was 93.4 percent – the fourth highest in the nation. That’s up from 92.5 percent in 2005 and represents another 275,000 more Californians buckling up. In 1990, that figure was only 45 percent. The 2006 teen seat belt use rate lags back at 90.8 percent, but still up from 88.6 percent in 2005.
“There are many programs in the works that are specifically geared toward addressing increased seat belt use, particularly among California’s teens,” said Murphy. “These young, inexperienced drivers are at great risk when behind the wheel and buckling up is one of the best safety measures they can take whether they are the driver or a passenger.”
Discussions will also focus on ways to further combat impaired driving. Several new initiatives are aimed at the repeat drunk driving offenders, who have a disproportionately high rate of collisions, often with tragic results.
“These are the worst of the worst,” said Murphy. “We’re starting programs that target those who intentionally disregard the law and the safety of others.”
Partners for the 2007 OTS Summit include: AAA of Northern California, the Allstate Insurance Foundation, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Auto Club of Southern California, Safe Kids Worldwide and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
