NHTSA
Presents Awards for Safety Achievements and Public Service
CHICAGO, IL. – The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced awards honoring 15 individuals
and groups from across the nation for their achievements in highway
safety. During a luncheon at the 25th Annual Lifesavers conference,
NHTSA Administrator Nicole R. Nason presented and honored the individuals
with the public service awards for their work to reduce traffic deaths
and injuries across the country.
“We are all joined by a common mission:
to save lives and prevent traffic injuries,” said Administrator Nason.
“Thanks to the initiative and dedication of everyone here today, our
roadways are safer.”
More than 2,300 participants are attending
this year’s three-day Lifesavers conference, which features 87 workshops
and 105 exhibitors. The meeting focuses on common-sense solutions to
critical highway safety issues and is considered the leading event of
its kind in the United States. Topics being covered include child passenger
safety, occupant protection, and new vehicle safety technology.
The
15 individuals and organizations NHTSA Administrator Nason gave awards
to are:
• Gabrielle M. Abbate, Executive Director,
Rhode Island Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Providence, Rhode
Island, for her dedication in reducing alcohol-related fatalities and
injuries in the State of Rhode Island.
• Representative John Ahern, Washington
State House of Representatives, Spokane, Washington, for outstanding
leadership and efforts to make repeat drunk driving a felony crime in
Washington State
• American College of Surgeons/Committee
on Trauma, Chicago, Illinois, in recognition of more than 50 years of
leadership supporting excellence of care to injured patients by promoting
improved emergency medical services and trauma systems.
• Deborah Baer, President, Maryland Child
Passenger Safety Association, Pikesville, Maryland, for her commitment
to ensuring the safe transportation of Maryland’s children.
• Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois,
for the outstanding year-long series about “Teens at the Wheel” and
the Tribune’s examination of ways to reverse the trend in teen fatalities.
• Catherine Childers, Director, Public
Outreach, Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for exemplary service in reducing drunk driving
through education of government leaders and the public.
• Governor Ernie Fletcher, Governor of
the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Frankfort, Kentucky, for his leadership
and commitment to saving lives and reducing injuries in the Commonwealth
of Kentucky by leading the charge for passage of the primary seat belt
law. The primary law in Kentucky became effective July 12, 2006.
• Peter J. Grady, Traffic Safety Resource
Prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General, Des Moines, Iowa, for dedicating
his time and talents to train Iowa’s law enforcement officers and prosecutors
and helping Iowa become a national leader in reducing impaired driving
fatalities.
• Dr. Dorothy Height, Chair Emeritus,
National Council of Negro Women, Washington, D.C., in recognition of
her tireless efforts to engage African-American leaders in the movement
to increase the use of seat belts and child safety seats among people
of color.
• Captain Charles Hirata, Commander,
Maui Police Department, Lahaina District, Lahaina, Hawaii, for his initiative
and dedication to improving child passenger safety and traffic safety
in the State of Hawaii and the Pacific Rim.
• Maureen McCormick, Chief, Vehicular
Crimes Unit, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Mineola, New
York, in recognition of her diligent investigation and prosecution of
vehicular crimes, training others in the field, and many other efforts
on behalf of victims of DWI crashes.
• Judge Anthony S. Montelione, Retired
Presiding Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County Fifth Municipal District,
Bridgeview, Illinois, for judicial leadership in progressive ways to
address driving under the influence offenses.
• Kevin O’Brien, Director, Motor Carrier
and Driver Safety Services, Department of Motor Vehicles, Albany, New
York, for national leadership to prevent unsafe drivers from obtaining
valid driver licenses.
• Secretary of State Jesse White, State
of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, for leadership to enhance the Illinois
graduated driver licensing program and combat teen driving fatalities
and injuries.
• Serious Traffic Offender Program (STOP),
Rapid City Police Department, Rapid City, South Dakota, in recognition
of the Rapid City Police Department’s innovative program that reduces
the number of crashes attributable to drivers with suspended or revoked
licenses.
intervenes when it senses wheel slippage, understeer (plowing),
or oversteer
(fishtailing)
by applying brake pressure and, if necessary, adjusting engine torque
to help the driver get the vehicle back on track.
