Editor,
The stillborn Strategic Highway Safety Plan (
”
SHSP
”
), which was the topic of the highway safety advocates
”
summit
”
last month in Sacramento, is a great idea, but thanks to our
Legislature it’s DOA ( Dead on Arrival). Why? Just look at our
transport law:
By the numbers:
Editor,
The stillborn Strategic Highway Safety Plan (“SHSP”), which was the topic of the highway safety advocates “summit” last month in Sacramento, is a great idea, but thanks to our Legislature it’s DOA ( Dead on Arrival). Why? Just look at our transport law:
By the numbers:
– 400-500 highway safety advocates gathering at the summit to promote new SHSP
– 0 days without a traffic fatality in California since 9/12/00
– Zero chances of success of the SHSP as our law now stands in California.
For the Year 2003 (the most recent year for which total statistics are available):
– 59 seconds: time between reported traffic accidents in California
– One person killed every 2 hours and 4 minutes as a result of traffic accidents in California
– One person injured every 1 minute and 43 seconds as a result of ” ” ”
– One person killed for every 73 injured on our streets and highways in California
– One out if every 8,505 persons living in California killed in a traffic accident in California
– One out of every 117 persons living in California injured in a traffic accident in California
– One out of every 59 licensed drivers was involved in a fatal or injury accident
When the Legislature says, in Section 99401.5 of the Public Utilities Code, that the counties and cities shall not spend a single penny on streets and highways until all unmet transit needs are met (furnished by the taxpayers at 99% percent subsidy levels), then highway safety improvements like the Don Pacheco Y Interchange are “on-hold” until transit advocates get every thing on their wish list satisfied. This is backwards; it should be just the opposite-no transit spending unless and until all highway safety improvements are finished. At least the voters in each County should have the right to decide their highest priority for transport.
Please tell your readers the truth in transportation. Don’t mislead them into thinking that highway safety is our No. 1transport priority. Our Legislature has decreed that it ain’t Caveat Viator!
Joseph P. Thompson, Tres Pinos
