Safe System Weekly | September 20, 2024
by Russ Martin
Tomorrow is this year’s National Car Seat Check Saturday! If you or someone you know needs support installing a child safety seat, free stations will be active all across the country.
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Congressional Leaders Work to Avert Oct. 1 Shutdown
Congress looks unlikely to strike a full funding deal before September 30, so a Continuing Resolution (CR) to temporarily extend the previous year’s budget seems highly likely.
?? This is a story that will likely progress throughout this fall. Recently, Congress has rarely met this deadline. Though federal safety grants are typically not impacted by a federal government shutdown, delays in the final budget have pushed back the distribution of critical transportation safety funding to the states.
New FHWA Acting Administrator: Kristin White
After Shailen Bhatt stepped down, the Federal Highway Administration announced Deputy Administrator Kristin White will be acting in the agency’s leadership post. Deputy Administrator White was formerly Chief Counsel and brings a strong background in transportation technology.
Drivers Skirt Distracted Driving Limits Set by ADAS
A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that as drivers get more comfortable with driver assistance technology, they are more likely to multi-task behind the wheel and game driver attention systems.
?? ADAS features show tremendous safety promise. We also know that drivers are not immune to misuse and complacency, and new technologies can create new forms of distracted driving. This suggests we need additional steps to curb distracting behaviors to reap the safety benefits of driver assistance tech.
"Regardless of the version of the system used, all three groups of drivers engaged in distracting visual-manual activities, including eating, grooming and using electronics, more often when using Pilot Assist than while driving without it. This was true whether they used the feature a lot or hardly at all."
Connecticut’s Garret Eucalitto New AASHTO President
The Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and former Vice President of AASHTO, has assumed the role of AASHTO President for the remainder of this year’s term. Mr. Eucalitto has been a notable safety champion.
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领英推荐
CS Team Presents at 2024 Alaska Safe Roadway Behaviors Symposium
Ryan Klitzsch, Rachel Chiquoine, and Russ Martin joined Alaska’s highway safety leaders for a statewide summit. Our team led discussions in support of the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities Strategic Highway Safety Plan as well as public participation and engagement.
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That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading!
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