[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 48 (Wednesday, April 7, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3915-S3916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            WORLD HEALTH DAY

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I come to the Senate floor today to talk 
about an issue that is very important to me personally, but one that is 
also quickly becoming a concern across the globe: traffic crashes and 
the resulting fatalities and injuries.
  Today is World Health Day. World Health Day is celebrated every year 
on April 7, focusing each year on a different public health problem. 
For the first time ever, in response to the growing number of traffic 
deaths worldwide, the World Health Organization chose the theme of 
``Road Safety'' for World Health Day 2004. The goal is to raise 
awareness of traffic safety in hopes of reducing the staggering number 
of traffic related fatalities and injuries that occur worldwide each 
year. Efforts are being launched today in the U.S. and worldwide to 
encourage action in policy, programs, funding and research on traffic 
safety.
  Consider these statistics: Every year, nearly 1.2 million people die 
worldwide in motor vehicle crashes and an estimated 10 to 15 million 
people are injured. In the U.S. alone, almost 43,000 people are killed 
each year and nearly 3 million are injured. Traffic crashes are the 
leading cause of death for people ages 1-34 and are one of the top ten 
causes of death for all ages. In North Dakota, it is estimated that 
motor vehicle crashes cost our citizens $290 million in 2000, or $452 
per person. Sadly, experts predict that road traffic fatalities will 
double by the year 2020.
  Today in Washington, the Pan-American Health Organization, PAHO, 
along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AAA, and 
many other organizations are emphasizing the importance of safety belt 
use as part of the efforts for World Health Day. Seat belts are the 
single most effective means of reducing the risk of death in a crash 
and have saved approximately 135,000 lives and prevented 3.8 million 
injuries in the last 26 years in the U.S. If everyone consistently wore 
a seat belt, more than 7,000 American deaths could be prevented each 
year.
  This initiative coincides with our efforts in Congress to reauthorize 
the transportation bill. I supported passage of the Senate bill, which 
would provide a needed boost in funding and policy support for 
important safety initiatives, and offered an amendment to crack down on 
an important traffic safety issue, states that allow driving with an 
open container of alcohol.
  I applaud the World Health Organization, PAHO, AAA and all the 
individuals and organizations that are working today and throughout the 
year to draw attention to the growing problem of traffic crashes. We 
need to sound the alarm--43,000 deaths in the U.S. and 1.2 million 
worldwide are too many.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, today I recognize World Health Day, which 
is celebrated every year on April 7 in order to bring awareness to a 
specific health issue of global significance. This year, the World 
Health Organization has selected ``Road Safety'' as the theme for World 
Health Day.
  Road safety is an imperative public health challenge that needs to be 
addressed. Every year, nearly 1.2 million people die in motor vehicle 
crashes worldwide and an estimated 10 to 15 million people are injured. 
In the United States, nearly 43,000 people die each year from motor 
vehicle crashes, making auto fatalities the number one

[[Page S3916]]

killer of those between the ages of 4 and 34. Despite these already 
tragic and staggering statistics, some experts predict that motor 
vehicle fatalities will double by the year 2020, thus becoming the 
third greatest global health challenge, jumping from its current 
ranking of ninth.
  The goal of World Health Day 2004 is to raise public awareness of 
traffic safety in hopes of reducing these motor vehicle fatalities and 
injuries worldwide. Wearing a seat belt continues to be the most 
effective means of reducing the risk of death in a crash and the 
implementation of a national primary seat belt law could save thousands 
of lives each year. Other important traffic and vehicle safety actions, 
such as greater consumer awareness of vehicle safety, stronger emphasis 
of safety with regard to vehicle design, stronger driver education 
programs, and the identification and disclosure of dangerous roads and 
intersections would greatly improve road safety and save lives. We have 
made some progress on these important issues here in the Senate, but we 
have a long way to go.
  I would like to thank the World Health Organization, AAA, the Pan-
American Health Organization, the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, and other important organizations all over the world 
that have worked tirelessly to confront this global epidemic of motor 
vehicle fatalities. Their work is saving lives.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, since 1948, countries all over the world 
have recognized April 7 as World Health Day as a way to raise awareness 
of a specific health issue that has global significance. In previous 
years, World Health Day focused on issues such as the importance of 
creating healthy environments for children, addressing emerging 
infectious diseases, and reducing the stigma associated with mental 
health treatment. The theme for this year is road safety which is 
perhaps not something that is often thought of as a public health risk. 
However, each year motor vehicle crashes have a devastating and tragic 
impact on millions of families all over the world.
  In 2002, motor vehicle crashes killed nearly 1.2 million people 
worldwide and injured as many as 50 million more. If the current trend 
continues, the World Health Organization estimates that by the year 
2020, road traffic deaths and disabilities will become the third 
leading contributor to the global burden of disease and injury ahead of 
strokes, tuberculosis and HIV.
  The toll of these crashes is no less significant here in the United 
States. Over 42,800 people were killed and nearly 3 million people were 
injured on our own country's roads and highways in 2002. That's one 
person--a parent, child, friend, or colleague--killed in a car crash 
every 12 minutes of every single day. Beyond the overwhelming emotional 
impact that these deaths and injuries wreak on our communities, they 
also cost our economy over $230 billion a year.
  Today as countries around the globe put a spotlight on the issue of 
road safety, it is equally important to examine what we are doing here 
in our own country to prevent these crashes.
  As the former chairman and now as the ranking member of the 
Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I have worked to improve 
transportation safety over the years and I would like to talk about 
some of the ways we can save lives and prevent injuries.
  To look at this in a very basic way, there are three categories of 
events that can go wrong on the road and have deadly consequences. 
First, there can be hazardous road conditions such as poor weather, 
narrow lanes or dangerous curves. Second, there can be a catastrophic 
failure in the vehicle such as a blown tire or worn out brakes. And 
finally, the driver's own behavior can mean the difference between life 
and death on the road, whether it is neglecting to wear a seat belt; 
driving while intoxicated; speeding; or, falling asleep at the wheel.
  The investments that we make in our roads, the standards that we set 
for vehicles and the laws that we enact to change driver behavior all 
can help reduce the number of fatalities on our Nation's roads and 
highways.
  Often when we talk about transportation funding, we focus on the 
highway construction jobs that will be created and the congestion that 
will be relieved. We also must mention how our transportation 
investments improve safety on our roads and highways. I would like to 
take the occasion of World Health Day to highlight two areas, in 
particular, where we hope our transportation investments will help 
change driver behavior.
  The Omnibus appropriations bill that passed the Senate a few months 
ago increased funding for the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration's drunk driving program by more than 40 percent. These 
funds will help States develop and implement a tracking system for 
those repeat offenders who drive drunk time and time again. They will 
also help better educate the judges and prosecutors that handle drunk 
driving cases so that sanctions will be applied in a consistent manner.
  It is well known in the highway safety community that the best way to 
deliver the message about the perils of drinking and driving is through 
high visibility enforcement programs. On the Transportation 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I have worked with Senator Shelby to 
include funding for a national paid media campaign for NHTSA's ``You 
Drink and Drive. You Lose'' program. This media campaign, which 
coincides with impaired driving safety mobilization efforts, delivers 
the message to drivers that law enforcement is out in force conducting 
sobriety checkpoints and that if you are caught driving under the 
influence, there will be serious legal consequences.
  The Omnibus appropriations bill included $14 million for paid 
advertising; $2.75 million to support State-impaired driving 
mobilization efforts; and $3 million to pilot new and innovative 
strategies to combat impaired driving. This funding, in combination 
with strong State laws, provides us with an opportunity to reverse the 
unfortunate upward trend in the number of alcohol-related fatalities.
  Another contribution that the Omnibus appropriations bill made toward 
transportation safety is in the area of seat belts. The most important 
thing you can do to protect yourself in the event of a car crash is to 
wear your seat belt. In fact, in 2002, the year for which we have the 
most recent data, seat belts saved over 14,000 lives. The FY 2004 bill 
included $14 million for the ``Click It or Ticket'' program, which is a 
national paid media campaign similar to the impaired driving effort I 
just mentioned, however, its focus is on getting families to buckle up.
  This is the third year in a row that Congress has provided funding 
for ``Click It or Ticket,'' and we are seeing some positive results. 
Last year, NHTSA estimated that seat belt use had risen to 79 percent 
nationally, its highest use rate ever. My State of Washington led the 
country with nearly 95 percent of our citizens wearing their seat 
belts.
  Our efforts to reduce drunk driving and increase seat belt use are 
just two examples of the steps we are taking to address the safety 
challenges we face on our Nation's highways. As a member of the 
Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I will continue to work to 
provide funding for programs that tackle these issues and take the 
opportunity on occasions such as this to highlight the importance of 
safety on our Nation's roads.

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