[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 169 (Saturday, December 18, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 15, 2010

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 841, the 
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, and I commend Senator 
Rockefeller, Congressman Ed Towns and Congressman Cliff Stearns for 
their leadership on the safety of blind Americans, cyclists, runners, 
small children, and other pedestrians.
  This bill will protect the blind community from the risks posed by 
silent vehicles. For the blind and many others who experience physical 
disabilities, the biggest challenge is not the loss of their sight, but 
the misunderstanding and the lack of simple accommodations that make 
life more manageable for independent individuals.
  This is especially the case with fast growing technologies that 
increasingly define the 21st century. We have new cars on the road and, 
more importantly, an increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles 
being sold and manufactured in the United States.
  However, with these advances we need to ensure that new technologies 
also reflect the safety concerns of all stakeholders on the roads--
drivers and pedestrians alike.
  I am pleased that this bill addresses the critical safety concerns of 
disabled persons, while also encouraging better technology and economic 
growth.
  S. 841, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, is good for our 
community. It is good for pedestrians and it is good for industry.
  I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

                          ____________________