excerpt with thanks to the U.S. Department of Transportation website [http://www.dot.gov/affairs/dot3399.htm]
from On the Move, Summer (June) Quarter 1999, Volume 12, Number 2
Continuing efforts to improve transportation safety, U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E.
Slater today called on the nation to "Sign on for Safety" as he opened the first National
Transportation Safety Conference.
"President Clinton's leadership, with its emphasis on safety as the highest transportation priority,
has made today's dialog possible," said Secretary Slater. "We are going to focus sharply, with
vision and vigilance, on safety and making a real difference for the next millennium by saving
lives and preventing injuries."
To begin the conference, Secretary Slater initiated a national pledge by inviting an unprecedented coalition of mayors, citizens, community leaders and other dignitaries in Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco and Washington D.C., to join him via satellite outreach and "Sign on for Safety" by promising to always:
The pledge is designed to help change the personal behavior of travelers. It underscores the
department's findings that awareness of safety issues is heightened in the context of one's
relationship and connection to others.
"While travel has become safer in the past few years, even one loss of life is one too many," said
Jolene Molitoris, head of the Federal Railroad Administration and chair of the department's
Safety Council. "The conference will address many initiatives, but throughout, we intend to make
a real difference for America by emphasizing the importance of communities and personal
responsibility in developing opportunities for improving safety."
The conference, which is highlighting the safety efforts of citizens, corporations, advocacy groups
and public employees, is designed to strengthen and reinforce the efforts of existing programs and
initiatives and achieve a common vision for a 21st century transportation agenda.
Secretary Slater was joined at the town hall by his departmental administrators and a host of
safety spokespersons, including Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams and Jimmy Vasser, lead
driver of the Target Chip Ganassi racing team and CART FedEx champion. In addition, citizens in
Atlanta, Detroit and San Francisco shared inspirational stories on transportation-related
experiences that resulted in lives lost and saved.
Each year in the United States, approximately 44,500 people die and another 3.4 million are
injured as a result of transportation-related injuries. While significant progress has been made to
reduce these numbers, the U.S. Department of Transportation is committed to seeking new and
innovative solutions.
The Utah T² Center has limited quantities of the "Sign on for Safety" pledge card. If you want your free copy, please call us at 1-800-822-8878.