Teens, Texting and Tragedy: Which States are Making the Grade?

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety to release 2010 Report Card on Highway Safety

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As state legislatures across the nation open their 2010 sessions, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety will issue its state-by-state ratings of traffic safety laws. For the first time, the group reviews text messaging restrictions for all drivers, and puts a new emphasis on tougher ignition interlock laws for convicted drunk drivers. The report also highlights dangerous gaps in state teen driving laws.

NEWS CONFERENCE: Highway safety advocates and state and federal transportation safety leaders will spotlight model state laws to curb traffic deaths and injuries and to focus on congressional measures to spur state action or face sanctions. The 2010 Roadmap Report on State Highway Safety Laws will grade each state and the District of Columbia on their laws addressing teen driving, distracted driving, drunk driving, and the required use of seat belts, child booster seats and motorcycle helmets.

***Webcast and Satellite Newsfeed is available***

The 2010 Roadmap Report on State Highway Safety Laws will feature the best and worst performing states, states making the most and least progress over the past year, dangerous loopholes in each state that contribute to preventable death and injury, and state-specific data on traffic deaths, injuries and related economic losses.

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety also will spotlight pending congressional initiatives to prod each state to swiftly enact model laws addressing teen driving, distracted driving, and drunk driving.

Over the past decade, an average of 40,000 Americans were killed and 2.5 million were injured each year in motor vehicle crashes at an economic cost of $230 billion - an average of 110 deaths, 7000 injuries and $630 million in economic losses every day.

WHEN: Monday, January 11, 2010, at 11:30 AM Eastern Time

WHERE: National Press Club, 529 14th St, NW (Zenger Room, 13th Floor), Washington, D.C.

WEBCAST: A live WEBCAST of the news conference and an ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT will be available at: www.saferoads.org.

SATELLITE NEWSFEED: Time: 11:30 ET to 13:00 ET; Orbital Slot: 97 WL; D/L Frequency: 4100 (H)

WHO: JUDITH LEE STONE (President) and JACQUELINE GILLAN (Vice President) of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

DEBORAH HERSMAN, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board.

JOHN PORCARI, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation.

CONGRESSMAN CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Maryland), a chief sponsor of the Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act - the STANDUP Act.

SENATOR JOHN CULLERTON (Chicago), Illinois Senate President and one of the nation's top highway safety legislative champions.

SUSAN VAVALA (Wilmington, Delaware), whose teenaged daughter Kim's death in a traffic crash prompted her extraordinary highway safety activism.

MARGE LEE (Franklin Square, New York), who was injured and whose son was killed in a drunk driving crash and is now Victim Advocate and Nassau County Coordinator of DEDICATEDD.

DR. JOSEPH WRIGHT, American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's National Medical Center (Washington, DC).

DR. STEPHEN HARGARTEN, (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Professor and Chair, Dept of Emergency Medicine and Director and Director of the Injury Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

BILL MARTIN (Los Angeles), Senior Vice President of Farmers Insurance and Board Co-Chair (Insurance) of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

JOAN CLAYBROOK, Board Co-Chair (Consumer) of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

SOURCE Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety