(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty
Murray was presented with a “2010 Safety Leadership” award from the Advocates
for Highway and Auto Safety. This award is for exemplary leadership on federal
auto and highway safety legislation.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this
award,” said Senator Murray. “As our nation’s economy recovers and
families begin to spend more time traveling, we must continue to work together
to educate our children and others about the potentially fatal consequences of
distracted driving, hold manufacturers accountable for the safety of their
vehicles, and pursue a multifaceted campaign to prevent drunk driving.”
As chair of the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee responsible for the Department of Transportation, Senator Murray
has increased funding for lifesaving highway and auto safety programs.
“Today, we celebrate the past twenty
years of enacting highway and auto safety legislation that has saved many
thousands of lives,” said Judith Lee Stone, Advocates president. “But,
we could not have passed these lifesaving measures without the dedication and
tenacity of our legislative champions—they have made the nation’s roads safer
for everyone who uses them, for generations to come.”
A report released earlier yesterday by
Advocates shows that federal and state highway safety laws enacted over the
past 20 years have saved over 85,000 lives and over $600 billion in
costs.
In recent years, an average of 5.8
million crashes has occurred on our nation’s highways each year resulting in
almost 40,000 fatalities and 2.3 million injuries, at a cost to society of an
estimated $230 billion per year. Every day 102 people are killed on America’s
streets and highways, while more than 6,000 are injured, according to federal
highway statistics.
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