[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 202 (Tuesday, December 12, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING JACKIE GILLAN, PRESIDENT OF ADVOCATES FOR HIGHWAY AND AUTO 
                                 SAFETY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 12, 2017

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the career of Jackie 
Gillan, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. Jackie will 
soon be retiring after nearly 30 years with Advocates.
  For decades, Jackie has been at the forefront of transportation 
safety--in and out of government. Her record of public service is 
impressive. She served as a staffer at the U.S. Department of 
Transportation during the Carter Administration and in the U.S. Senate. 
She has also worked at state transportation agencies in New Jersey, 
Ohio, and California.
  I know Jackie from her post-government career as a champion for 
consumer safety. She joined Advocates as a board member in 1989. She 
became Vice President a year later and President in 2011.
  Under her leadership, Advocates has worked effectively at the federal 
and state levels to improve child safety; strengthen laws against 
impaired driving; require seatbelts, child restraints, and motorcycle 
helmets; establish teen driver programs; and increase funding for 
highway and auto safety. In 2002, two-year-old Cameron Gulbransen was 
killed in a tragic back-over accident. With Jackie's help, I passed a 
bill in Cameron's memory to require back-up cameras in passenger 
vehicles. The fight did not stop there though. We fought for years 
afterward to implement the law until the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration finalized a rule in 2014. Thanks to Jackie's 
tireless efforts, back-up cameras are now standard in Model Year 2018 
passenger vehicles.
  This year, we have been working together to pass the HOT CARS Act, 
which would help prevent child heatstroke deaths by requiring rear seat 
reminders. Jackie has been an ally in numerous other efforts as well, 
from limiting the sale of cars under open recall to ensuring the safe 
deployment of autonomous vehicles.
  Jackie leaves her current role with an impressive legacy of crashes 
prevented, injuries averted, and lives saved. But I don't expect Jackie 
to disappear into retirement. As she moves from President to President 
Emeritus of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, I am confident that 
she will continue to be a safety champion. And whether they know it or 
not, everyone on the road today owes a little bit of gratitude to 
Jackie Gillan.

                          ____________________