Recently released data from the NHTSA, showing that 43,220 individuals were killed on our nation's highways in 2003, has reminded us of the tremendous challenges facing the traffic safety profession. And, perhaps the largest challenge of all is to convince the public and key policy makers that these fatalities, and the associated injuries, are not “accidents” that we must accept as normal consequences, but rather a public health crisis that can be addressed.

Fortunately, there is a ground swell of cultural change underway in jurisdictions throughout the country where we see officials setting audacious goals that envision a “zero fatality” future. Hopefully, this cultural change will continue to expand so that one day soon we as a society will not find it “acceptable” that one person is killed in a traffic crash every 13 minutes!

For me personally, I am gratified that I head an organization dedicated to “saving lives through research and education” and that our team is “passionate” about that mission. To that end, I am delighted to report that the Foundation presently has a record number of projects (18) underway, covering a wide range of high priority issues. Details can be viewed throughout this newsletter.

Finally, given that there is still much to do, I am pleased that we have just issued our annual solicitation for research and educational pre-proposals that we will fund in 2005.

Very truly yours,

J. Peter Kissinger
President and CEO

Transportation in an Aging Society - The TRB recently released the conference proceedings,  Transportation in an Aging Society: A Decade of Experience , from a 1999 conference sponsored by a TRB, US DOT, NHTSA, FHWA, FTA, NIH, CDC, Eno Transportation Foundation, Beverly Foundation, and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. These proceedings include the technical papers and reports that examined issues associated with achieving safer mobility for older persons.

The issues discussed and papers presented at the meeting are being published to make them available to a broader audience. You can download the PDF by visiting Seniordrivers.org.

Newspaper Depiction of Risk Associated with Motor Vehicle Crashes - A study was recently released which examined the public health messages conveyed by newspaper coverage of fatal motor vehicle crashes and determined the extent to which press coverage accurately reflects real risks and crash trends.