U.S. women Road Safety Leaders Back Make Roads Safe

The National Association of Women Highway Safety Leaders (NAWHSL), an organization composed of top women highway safety leaders in the United States, has passed a resolution supporting the Make Roads Safe campaign.

Founded in 1967, NAWHSL is the first and only organization of women leaders whose objectives are devoted exclusively to traffic crash prevention. Each NAWHSL delegate is appointed by their U. S. State or Territorial Governor. These appointees are volunteers and are dedicated to reaching the grass roots organizations in their communities and states as well as advocating for safer roads throughout the country.

At the recent annual meeting held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, delegates from across the United States voted to adopt an official resolution in support of Make Roads Safe. Sponsored by Georgia State Delegate and Southeast Regional Director Jennie Glasgow, and supported by several other state delegates, the Make Roads Safe resolution passed unanimously.

“NAWHSL is proud to be one of the first traffic safety organizations in the United States to pass a resolution in support of Make Roads Safe, said NAWHSL President Dr. Suzanna M. Tye, of the Virgin Islands. “As leaders in our communities, we support road safety as a worldwide community effort and our members are encouraged by the efforts of Make Roads Safe and will participate in the Global Road Safety Week in 2007.”

Speakers at the conference included senior officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), State Governors’ Offices of Highway Safety, and diverse public and private organizations. Make Roads Safe was highlighted on the final day of the conference, including a presentation by Make Roads Safe North American Director, Dr. Bella Dinh-Zarr.

State and local affiliates in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands provide safety education and advocacy at the grass-roots level on a wide variety of road safety topics. NAWHSL’s past accomplishments include playing a major role in the passage of child safety seat and safety belt laws; supporting a roadway environment program emphasizing the need for improved signs, signals and markings; providing programs for older and novice drivers; and advocating for improved pedestrian safety. For more information on NAWHSL, visit www.nawhsl.org

NAWHSL RESOLUTION in support of MAKE ROADS SAFE

WHEREAS, 1.2 million people are killed in road traffic crashes worldwide each year, which translates to the deaths of more than 3000 people, including 500 children, every day; and

WHEREAS, billions of dollars are spent worldwide on TB and malaria when traffic crashes are an equally great burden on our society; and

WHEREAS, Make Roads Safe is an international campaign to make road safety a global priority; and

WHEREAS, this international campaign aims to raise public and political awareness of this public health epidemic and encompasses all modes of transportation from pedestrians to vehicles to trains;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Association of Women Highway Safety Leaders, Inc., supports the efforts of the Make Roads Safe campaign and participation in the first UN Global Road Safety Week and encourages putting road traffic injury prevention on the G8 and United Nations sustainability agendas.

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