Drive to Save Lives Campaign Working Together to Reduce Highway Fatalities by 15 Percent in 2014
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IACP NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Sarah Guy March 20, 2014 703-647-7226 or [email protected] International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), United States Department of Transportation (DOT), and State Police and Highway Patrol Agencies Commence the Drive to Save Lives Campaign Working Together to Reduce Highway Fatalities by 15 Percent in 2014 Alexandria, VA – Today, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), United States Department of Transportation (DOT), Louisiana State Police, and state police and highway patrol leaders from over 40 states joined forces to announce the Drive to Save Lives Campaign at a press conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kansas Highway Patrol Colonel Ernest E. Garcia was on hand to pledge the Patrol’s support for the campaign. The implementation of the Drive to Save Lives Campaign is a united effort by state police and highway patrol leaders to reduce highway fatalities by 15 percent in 2014. More than 33,000 deaths occur each year on our nation’s roadways. Highway fatalities rank as one of the top 12 causes of death in the United States and it is the leading cause of death among teens. This is unacceptable because most crashes are preventable. In order to decrease highway fatalities, state police and highway patrol leaders from the IACP Division of State and Provincial Police will lead a sustained effort over the course of the year that is data driven; focuses on the use of seat-belts and speeding; and targets impaired and distracted driving. The campaign will also include enforcement actions against the unsafe driving behaviors of the operators of large trucks and buses. State police and highway patrol leaders will work to change the high-risk behaviors of motorists that lead to crashes through education and awareness, partnerships, and high-visibility traffic enforcement. “The Kansas Highway Patrol is joining this important initiative, geared toward saving lives on our nation’s roadways,” Colonel Ernest E. Garcia, Superintendent of the Patrol, said. “Our agency has a vested interest in decreasing the number of fatalities nationwide, as all too often we see the heartbreak of families throughout our state who lose loved ones due to a traffic crash.” “The IACP is thrilled to partner with the United States Department of Transportation on the Drive to Save Lives campaign,” said Chief Yousry “Yost” Zakhary, IACP President. “During my 34 years as a law enforcement officer, I have responded to far too many crashes caused by speeding and witnessed too many deaths because drivers and/or passengers were not wearing their seatbelts, and because of impaired and distracted driving. Crashes are preventable -- and that is what this campaign aims to do. Prevent them from occurring in the first place. Through our partnership, we will work to reduce highway deaths in 2014, and the coming years, because even one death is too many.” “Last year, we lost 33,000 lives on our nation’s roads, many of them because of drunk driving and from people not wearing seatbelts, speeding, and driving distracted,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “That’s why I’m pleased to join the International Association of Chiefs of Police in its ambitious goal to reduce highway fatalities by 15 percent. The Department of Transportation stands ready to do its part to help them achieve it.” Another major element of the Drive to Save Lives Campaign is officer safety. Traffic-related incidents are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths of law enforcement officers. When discussing the importance of officer safety to the success of the Drive to Save Lives Campaign, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Joseph Farrow, chair of the IACP Highway Safety Committee commented: “As we Drive to Save Lives, it is important that we include the men and women of law enforcement in this campaign.” “Last year, 46 officers were killed on our roadways. This represents more than 40 percent of all line of duty deaths for the year. Equally troubling is the fact that the number of officers struck and killed while outside of their vehicles was once again in double digits, continuing the trend of the past decade.” The nationwide Campaign is not just a yearlong effort by state police and highway patrol leaders and their partners, this Campaign will be an ongoing effort to prevent the needless deaths that occur on our roadways each year. Follow the Campaign on twitter at #Drive2SaveLives. ### About the IACP The International Association of Chiefs of Police is a dynamic organization that serves as the professional voice of law enforcement. Building on our past success, the IACP addresses cutting edge issues confronting law enforcement though advocacy, programs and research, as well as training and other professional services. IACP is a comprehensive professional organization that supports the law enforcement leaders of today and develops the leaders of tomorrow. The International Association of Chiefs of Police 44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 200, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 www.theiacp.org .