(WASHINGTON, April 29, 2013) “AAA is encouraged by President Obama’s nomination of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to be the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation.  We look forward to working with Mayor Foxx once confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and we are hopeful that he will help make transportation a top national priority. Mayor Foxx will face many challenges because the nation must address a significant transportation funding shortfall, and there are still too many Americans losing their lives on the nation’s roadways.

AAA appreciates retiring Secretary Ray LaHood’s unwavering commitment and bipartisanship in achieving national transportation goals.  Secretary LaHood helped raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving and worked with AAA and other stakeholders towards a national goal of zero traffic deaths. His bipartisan efforts also helped achieve passage of a multi-year transportation bill, MAP-21, which included significant program reform and added funds for transportation.”

AAA Says Policymakers Failing to Connect with Motorists’ Practical Concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C., (April 25, 2013) – Sixty-two percent of U.S. motorists believe the federal government should invest more money to improve roadways, according to a recent public opinion poll conducted by AAA. The vast majority of drivers (81 percent) also believe the federal government should do more to improve the condition of roads and bridges.

“Most Americans recognize the need for increased transportation funding because they drive over potholes and bumpy roads every day,” said Robert L. Darbelnet, President and CEO of AAA. “Unfortunately, the main concerns voiced by motorists about transportation and driving differ markedly from the points generally expressed by policymakers to promote funding legislation.”

When asked for their concerns regarding transportation and driving their cars, issues identified by drivers included the reliability and safety of their car (34 percent) and the direct financial cost of driving (19 percent). Other major concerns included the behavior of other drivers (15 percent), safety/road accidents (15 percent) and the gas mileage/fuel efficiency of their vehicle (15 percent). According to AAA’s recently released ‘Your Driving Costs’ report, the average cost to own and operate a car this year rose 1.96 percent to 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 per year, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving.

“Policymakers and transportation advocates are failing to connect with the public on the practical concerns that matter most to motorists,” continued Darbelnet. “Motorists want to hear about how their elected officials can improve their daily commute by repairing the pothole down the street or the bumpy road around the corner.”

Nearly seven out of ten (68 percent) motorists believe the federal government should make “reducing congestion on the roads” a top transportation priority. Traffic jams and crowded roads waste billions of dollars a year in time and fuel, and causes significant frustration for many drivers. Federal transportation funding can support increased capacity and expanded roadways.

Motorists who feel that the federal government should increase taxes or fees to improve roadways support a number of options for increasing transportation funding, including:

• Replacing the per-gallon gas tax with a national gasoline sales tax (55 percent)
• Creating a new national sales tax dedicated to transportation (47 percent)
• Expanding the use of tolls to Interstate highways where tolls are not currently collected (47 percent)
• Creating a carbon tax on fossil fuels (45 percent)
• Replacing the federal gas tax with a per-miles-driven fee (37 percent)
• Creating an energy tax on all sources of energy (35 percent)
• Increasing the federal per-gallon gas tax (27 percent)

“The public seems very willing to examine innovative transportation methods to improve road quality,” continued Darbelnet. “AAA is dedicated to examining all funding options and educating policymakers on the need to fully fund improvements for America’s roads and bridges.”

Motorists overwhelmingly (83 percent) remain concerned about wasteful government spending on transportation. AAA has worked with Congress to implement reforms, such as eliminating earmarks, streamlining bureaucratic oversight and accelerating project development as part of Map 21, the recently passed federal transportation authorization law. AAA will continue to push for improved reforms to reduce wasteful spending as Congress debates transportation funding.

This report presents the findings of an omnibus telephone survey (654 landline and 354 cell phone) consisting of 1,008 adults (503 men and 508 women) living in the continental United States. A screener question identified 817 current motorists who were asked the remainder of the question list. The study has a 95 percent margin of error of ±4.0 percent.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

(WASHINGTON, March 21, 2013)

Statement by AAA President & CEO Robert L. Darbelnet:

“Today’s action by the U.S. House of Representatives in passing a continuing resolution is a victory for highway safety.  The U.S. Senate served the nation’s interests through a bipartisan effort to ensure that MAP-21′s highway safety programs were adequately funded, which President Obama supported.  Over the last few weeks, AAA clubs from around the country weighed in to get this done.

Safety funding comes at a crucial time, as we are now seeing a slight uptick in roadway fatalities.  Today’s action was a good example of bipartisan collaboration that will help deliver better transportation solutions for the American people.”

(WASHINGTON, March 19, 2013) Statement by AAA President & CEO Robert L. Darbelnet:

“The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) today gave the nation’s bridges a “C+” grade, up from a “C” four years ago; and roads got a “D” grade, up from a “D-” in 2009.  The good news for drivers is that the condition of the nation’s roads and bridges has improved slightly since the last report card was issued. The bad news is grades like these aren’t going to get us where we need to go in terms of safety, mobility or economic recovery.

We don’t want a C+ economy, and can’t settle for a D, or even C+ transportation system. We need Congress to take the lead, work toward a long term funding solution and ensure the American public understands the importance of investing in our transportation system before we fall further behind.”

(WASHINGTON, February 12, 2013)

Statement by AAA’s President and CEO Robert Darbelnet in Response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address

“President Obama’s support for transportation infrastructure in tonight’s State of the Union address is of critical importance to millions of American motorists that depend on safe roads and bridges to support their livelihoods and their families.

“America’s Interstate Highway System became the envy of the world decades ago because our nation’s leaders worked together to implement far-reaching polices of historic importance. The leaders of the time did not let the political risks detract them from developing a highway network that would stand as a monument to the engineering excellence of the United States.

“It is no secret that a great political divide and considerable funding issues have created significant road blocks to sustaining a safe and an improved infrastructure. Every day millions of frustrated Americans lose valuable time and money waiting in traffic, and they are relying on their elected officials to provide relief.

“AAA urges both the President and Congress to prioritize transportation this year to ensure that American’s can get to work, go to school and travel from state to state on roads that once again become the most efficient, safe and reliable in the world.”

AAA’s President & CEO Robert Darbelnet today sent the following letter to Rep. Bill Shuster, the new chairman of the U.S. House Transportation & infrastructure Committee.

February 12, 2013
The Honorable Bill Shuster
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
2163 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515

Dear Chairman Shuster:

Congratulations on being selected Chairman of the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in the 113th Congress. Your longstanding commitment to improving the nation’s surface transportation system by making it safer and more efficient will serve the committee well.

As you know, this is a crucial time for transportation. Issues like deficit reduction and economic recovery pose both challenges and opportunities for the future of our nation’s transportation system, particularly when it comes to providing more adequate funding. At the same time, the recent policy gains made in MAP-21 provide a positive platform from which to further reform and improve the federal program.

AAA firmly believes that transportation investments will make America stronger by providing safe, reliable mobility and ensuring the nation remains competitive in a rapidly changing global economy. Unfortunately our competitiveness remains in doubt, as evidenced by a recent report by the World Economic Forum which ranked the quality of U.S. roadways behind countries like Cyprus, Malaysia, Finland, Oman, among others. The Interstate Highway System used to serve as a model of prosperity for other developing nations. America must redouble its effort to restore our rightful position as a global leader in transportation infrastructure innovation.

To that end, this year AAA will be conducting research to better understand public perceptions on the current state of the transportation system, the most pressing problems that motorists’ face, and their view of government’s role in addressing their concerns.  We will be working to educate our members and the public about the importance of transportation and the need for increased investment.

AAA is committed to working with you on the important task of improving our nation’s infrastructure and we again congratulate you on your selection as Chairman.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Darbelnet
AAA President & CEO

New Federal Incentive Money Might Spur States to Action

WASHINGTON, D.C., (January 11, 2013) – New incentive funds from Congress could spur state legislatures to pass lifesaving safety improvements in their upcoming 2013 sessions, according to AAA.  Federal incentives for laws that ban texting while driving, improve teen driver safety and require ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers align with AAA’s nationwide legislative agenda to improve highway safety and could help combat a recent uptick in highway deaths.

Additional Resources

• AAA Teen Driving
• AAA Digest of Motor Laws
• AAA Safe Seats 4 Kids

“The promise of federal dollars might encourage additional states to pass needed safety improvements,” said AAA Vice President of Public Affairs Kathleen Bower. “The recent federal estimate that traffic deaths increased during the first nine months of 2012 is a reminder that safety gains are not inevitable and that continued legislative action is necessary to help reduce fatal crashes.”

The recent passage of MAP 21, the federal transportation authorization law, provides an average of $500 million annually in incentive funding for states that address many of these safety improvements.

“Progress slowed on many fronts for traffic safety advocates last year, but AAA has hope for improvements in 2013,” continued Bower. “Between the heavy toll of highway deaths and the availability of new federal funds, state policymakers have many reasons to act on road safety this year.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in December released estimates that traffic deaths increased by 7.1 percent in the first nine months of 2012 versus the same period the previous year. The estimated rate of deaths also increased, from 1.09 to 1.16 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

AAA’s top safety priorities in the states for 2013 include:

• Distracted driving: AAA in 2009 launched a national campaign to ban text messaging while driving in all 50 states. Thirty-nine states now have laws that prohibit drivers from texting and AAA expects all 11 remaining states to consider this legislation in 2013.  Distracted driving remains a significant contributor to traffic deaths.  According to NHTSA, nine percent of fatal crashes and 18 percent of injury crashes in 2010 involved some form of distraction.

• Teen driver safety: Graduated driver licensing (GDL) is one of the most effective means of reducing teen driving deaths. While every state has some form of GDL, nearly every state also has room for further improvements. Only six states (Del., Ind., Mich., N.Y., Okla. and W.Va.) have GDL systems that meet AAA’s guidelines for nighttime limits, passenger limits and practice requirements. AAA will also encourage states to strengthen license requirements and ban the use of wireless communications devices for novice drivers. Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens, accounting for almost one in three fatalities in this age group. Safety experts credit GDL laws for much of the 57 percent decline in traffic fatalities for 16- and 17-year-old drivers between 1995 and 2010.

• Booster seat laws: Despite a proven ability to reduce injuries and deaths for child passengers by 45 percent, child passenger safety laws in 19 states fall short of safety experts’ guidelines recommending that all children under age eight remain in either a car or booster seat. Fla. and S.D. still do not have booster seat requirements.  Research also shows that children ages four to eight who live in states with booster seat laws are 39 percent more likely to be appropriately restrained than children in states without such laws.

• Primary seat belt laws: AAA and other safety advocates will continue to work to change laws in the remaining 18 states without a primary belt law, increase fines in states with weak penalties and expand seat belt requirements to include backseat passengers in remaining states. Primary seat belt laws have repeatedly been shown as a low-cost way for states to quickly increase belt use, reduce traffic deaths and lower the cost of crashes. When lap/shoulder belts are used, the risk of injury to the front-seat occupants is reduced by 45 percent and states passing primary-enforcement seat belt laws should expect to see belt usage increase 10-13 percent.

• Ignition interlocks: Only 17 states and four California counties require ignition interlock devices for all convicted drunk drivers. AAA is calling on the other 33 states to step up for safety and require ignition interlocks for all offenders. Research has identified the life-saving benefit of ignition interlocks, which are more effective than other methods at reducing repeat offenses among convicted drunk drivers while they are installed.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

(WASHINGTON, September 19, 2012) “I am deeply concerned that both Congress and President Obama have agreed to new FY 2013 federal spending levels that fail to implement the funding and safety gains planned in the recently adopted transportation law.  The continuing resolution agreement breaks a promise made by both parties earlier this year to fully fund road, bridge and transit systems and new safety programs designed to reduce distracted driving and improve teen driver safety.  AAA will work to ensure that critical funds are restored and vital safety programs are implemented as soon as possible.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., (July 6, 2012) “AAA is pleased that President Obama today signed into law a bi-partisan, two-year transportation bill that contains many policy and program reforms that we support.  This new law promises to help rebuild public trust in the nation’s federal transportation program by eliminating earmarks, promoting road and bridge safety, and by better focusing federal dollars on national goals and objectives.

“Rebuilding public trust will be critical in the years ahead as policymakers outline their vision for an improved transportation system, which likely will require the public to pay more for the roads and bridges that they use. Long-term federal investment in highways and public transportation is needed to help make America stronger, and this new law is a positive step in the right direction for safety, mobility and economic growth.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., (June 29, 2012) – AAA applauds the swift action taken today by both Chambers in passing the transportation bill.

“AAA appreciates the commitment of policymakers to demonstrate their ability to  negotiate and move beyond partisan politics  in the interest of  meeting the nation’s transportation needs by passing this long overdue legislation.  Investment in transportation is an investment inmobility sustained economic growth and improved safety and mobility”