[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 19, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      HONORING R. CLARKE BENNETT ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______


                         HON. NORMAN Y. MINETA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 19, 1994

  Mr. MINETA. Mr. Speaker, there are many people in Federal agencies 
whose specific contributions to our society are unknown to the vast 
majority of the public. They do their jobs year in and year out, 
working behind the scenes, largely unrecognized for their efforts on 
the public's behalf.
  That is why I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to pay tribute to one such 
Federal employee who retired on June 3, 1994, from the Federal Highway 
Administration after 27 years of remarkable public service in the area 
of highway safety.
  Clarke Bennett joined FHWA in 1967 as a Safety Standards Engineer for 
the National Highway Safety Bureau. In 1970, he was promoted to Deputy 
Chief of the Street and Highway Geometrics Division of FHWA's Office of 
Highway Safety and later became Chief of that office's Technical 
Development and Standards Division. After that office was reorganized 
in 1977, he became Chief of the Program Evaluation Division. In October 
1982, he was promoted to Chief of the Traffic Control Systems Division, 
Office of Traffic Operations. From 1984 until his retirement, Mr. 
Bennett held the position of Director, Office of Highway Safety at 
FHWA.
  Mr. Bennett leaves a legacy of highway safety accomplishments that 
has earned him the respect and praise of his peers and those who have 
worked with him over the years. Certainly, the American public owes Mr. 
Bennett a debt of gratitude, for his efforts have resulted in many of 
the safety features that are incorporated into our Nation's highway 
system today.
  Examples abound of Mr. Bennett's contributions to highway safety. I 
will name just a few.
  Under Mr. Bennett's leadership, the National Highway Safety Review, 
which was responsible for the Older Driver Initiative, established 
minimum standards for reflectivity of highways signs, break-away 
supports, forgiving guard rails, and roadside clear zones.
  He was instrumental in having work zone safety data separated from 
other fatality data in the Fatal Accident Reporting System. This led to 
an awareness of the growing number of work zone fatalities and resulted 
in an emphasis on work zone training and traffic control plans to 
reduce those fatalities.
  His involvement in pedestrian safety led to regulatory approval for 
strong yellow-green signs for pedestrians and bikers. Motorists' 
enhanced reaction to the new signs has encouraged many States to 
conduct their own field studies.
  He was also involved with the development of the skid trailer, which 
permits highway professionals to measure the skid resistance of 
pavements. This has resulted in improved, long-term skid-resistant 
pavement materials.
  One of Mr. Bennett's major contributions was his work in developing 
highway standards for the Federal section 402 state and community 
highway safety grant program. He was a leading participant in providing 
states with guidance on developing computer programs and other 
mechanisms that enabled them to identify high accident locations and to 
make necessary improvements. These efforts included a training program 
to help States evaluate the effectiveness of their safety projects.
  Prior to joining FHWA, Mr. Clarke served 10 years with the Bureau of 
Traffic Engineering of the DC Department of Highways.
  Mr. Speaker, we can point with pride to Federal professionals like 
Clarke Bennett for exemplifying the real spirit of public service.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in saying, thank you, Clarke, for your 
many contributions and commitment to highway safety and for your 
dedication to the public which you served so well.

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