NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION TRAFFIC AND HIGHWAY SAFETY GENERAL STATEMENT - Objectives of 1972 Request The 1972 budget proposal for activities included under the Traffic and High- The 1972 budget also calls for the allocation of additional resources to: Summarily, the additional resources requested for 1972 have been allocated predominantly to the program areas which are deemed to have made a substantial contribution to the reduction of 1,100 motor vehicle fatalities recorded in 1970. These statistics do not reflect the fact that there was a 5% increase in the number of miles traveled in 1970 which would equate the 1,100 reduction to a comparable reduction of 3,900 if measured against the 1969 fatality rate. The program expansions being proposed are designed to generate further reductions in the fatality rate. Comparison of 1971 and 1972 Funding Requirements Total funding of $89 million requested for 1972 includes $32.1 million from the Highway Trust Fund and $56.9 million from Federal funds in accordance with specifications set forth in the Highway Safety Act of 1970. This is illustrated in the following table, which provides a comparison of 1971 and 1972 programs and indicates the relationship between Federal funds and the Highway Trust Fund. The ensuing budget justifications appearing in support of each major activity covered by this account show total program requirements in 1971 and 1972 regardless of how the financing is derived in order to provide meaningful program comparisons. The Highway Safety Act of 1970 provides that two-thirds of required financing for highway safety grant programs and associated highway safety research and development programs will be derived from the Highway Trust Fund. This is being implemented initially in NHTSA's 1972 budget proposal. Of the total amount of $32.1 million ascribed in the preceding table to the Highway Trust Furut in 1972, $29.8 million is requested for highway safety research and development activities, predominantly attributable to the Alcohol Safety Action Programs (ASAPS). The remainder of $2.3 million provides two-thirds of required financing for Federal administration of the highway safety grant program. Of the total 1972 Federal fund requirement of $56.9 million, the sum of $55.8 million represents the funding provided by the Traffic and Highway Safety appropriation. This amount is required to cover total funding requirements for motor vehicle programs, and partial funding for research and development and administrative support requirements not covered by transfer from other NHTSA accounts. The balance of $1.1 million represents a transfer from the State and Community Highway Safety appropriation for the remaining one third of funds required for administration of the highway safety grant program. - Budget Year Changes Highlights of changes proposed in the 1972 budget request are summarized as follows: Program Direction and Coordination - A moderate increase of 6 positions and supporting funds of $.1 million is requested in 1972 to support the overall program expansion proposed in the budget. A reduction of $.2 million has been applied to the contractual requirements of this activity. Motor Vehicle Program An increase of 28 positions and $.3 million is proposed to support the development of new safety standards, cope with increased compliance workload and establish a cadre staff to plan for the operation of the new Compliance Test Facility. Additional contractual funds of $1.1 million are required principally to enable needed expansion in the level of effort for compliance and defects testing. Traffic Safety Program The major portion of the requested 33 new positions and supporting funds of $.5 million will be assigned to NHTSA's regional offices to cover management of the 29 ASAPS projected to be operative in 1972. Additional contract funds of $26.8 million relate almost entirely to expanded ASAP financial requirements. Research and Analysis An allocation of 15 new positions with supporting funds of $.2 million is proposed in 1972 to further Jevelopmental work in the Experimental Safety Vehicle, expand safety research efforts largely in the areas of alcohol research, crash survivability, and accident avoidance and allow moderate expansion in accident investigation activity. Additional contractual funds of $2.5 million are allocated to expand research efforts in the areas of crash survivability, operating systems tire standards and alcohol research and test; and to improve the capability for obtaining data from various traffic records and accident files maintained by each State. Staff and Administrative Support Services The request for 18 positions and supporting funds of $.2 million are required to support the overall expansion in NHTSA program areas. Additional funds of $.4 million are proposed to cover additional day-to-day headquarters operating requirements such as printing supplies, etc. which are financed in total from this activity. Compliance Test Facility Funding of $9.6 million is requested in this newly proposed activity for the construction and outfitting of a Government facility to assume and improve the efficiency of the compliance testing work now being done under contract by private laboratories. INCREASE REQUESTED FOR 1972 Mr. McFALL. On page 4 you indicate a total request of $88,980,000 compared to a fiscal year 1971 appropriation of $45,546,000, an increase of about 100 percent. Would you comment generally about the need for an increase of this magnitude? Mr. Toмs. One of the major expenditures of course is the Alcohol Safety Action program. This amounts to a considerable amount of the increase. Mr. McFALL. How much is that portion of the increase? Mr. SCOTT. The total request is $31 million. Mr. McFALL. A $25 million increase over last year? Mr. Toмs. Yes. Mr. McFALL. That gives you $20 million in increases that you ought to detail. Mr. Toмs. All right. In addition to the $25 million? Mr. McFALL. Yes. Mr. Toмs. Part of it, as I remember it, is the compliance facility. Mr. McFALL. How much is for the compliance facility—$10 million? Mr. Toмs. $9.6 million. Mr. McFALL. That is about $35 million. But you have 10 more to go. Mr. Toмs. These are positions and programs for our defects area, such as the control arm we showed you. We have some additional people in other motor vehicle programs, such things as our vehicle handling and our lighting, structures, passive safety. There are people in certain elements of our traffic safety program who deal with codes and laws and enforcement, driver education and these sorts of things. ANALYSIS OF FISCAL YEAR 1972 INCREASE Mr. McFALL. Would you provide for the record a breakdown of this increase indicating how much is for annualization of personnel, new positions, pay increases, contract research and so forth? (The information follows:) Mr. McFALL. Why do you need an increase of $73,000 for within grade promotions in 1972 when your average grade is going down? WITHIN GRADE PROMOTIONS Mr. Toмs. Dana, can you answer that for the chairman? Mr. SCOTT. I am afraid not, sir. Bill, can you answer this question? Mr. HENEGHAN. The within grade promotions as such do not affect the average grade. Additional funds for within grades are needed where an employee might be in a fourth step of a grade 7 and in the budget year might move to the fifth step of a grade 7. This is the nature of the additional money for within grade promotions, to cover salary step advancements coming due employees under the Classification Act. Mr. McFALL. Even though your average grade level has declined? Mr. HENEGHAN. That is right, sir. The computation of the average grade does not take into account the step in the particular grade. DISTRIBUTION OF REQUEST BETWEEN GENERAL FUNDS AND THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND Mr. McFALL. As you indicate on page 11, part of your total request is derived from the Highway Trust Fund. Would you provide for the record a breakdown of your $89 million 1972 estimate, shown on page 12, between general funds and trust funds? Mr. Toмs. I would be very pleased to, Mr. Chairman. (Information requested follows:) |