Activity

Program Direction and

Coordination......

Motor Vehicle Program.

Traffic Safety Program.

Research and Analysis.

Staff and Administrative

Support....

Compliance Test Facility...

5,078

9,600

+18

...

+619

+9,600

...

Total.......

717

47,485 817 88,980

Less: State and community transfer for administration....

Highway Safety Research and Development....

TOTAL REQUIREMENTS (Appropriation).

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-
way Safety appropriation heading calls for a total program level of $89.0
million, compared to $46.2 million for 1971 programs. The 1972 request calls
for substantial expansion in the Administration's Alcohol Countermeasures
program. This undertaking is dedicated to reducing alcohol related annual
highway deaths which account for one half of total fatalities--two thirds of
which are caused by problem drinkers. The principal forces employed in this
effort are the Alcohol Safety Action programs (ASAPS) which seek to identify,
control, and provide surveillance over the drunk driver, particularly the
problem drinker . Complimentary activities include Public Information and
Manpower Development for Alcohol, which educates the public about the true
nature of the drinking driving problem and imparts technical knowledge to
community personnel engaged in ASAP implementation; and alcohol research
and test efforts dealing with improvement of alcohol detection devices,
increased understanding of the relationship between misuse of alcohol/drugs
and highway safety and similar pursuits.

The 1972 budget also calls for the allocation of additional resources to:
(1) permit the development of additional safety standards (2) cope with
existing workload in the Defects Testing area; and (3) further developmental
work on the Experimental Safety Vehicle and in the crash survivability and
accident avoidance research areas. In addition to the expansions in ongoing
program efforts, the 1972 budget also calls for the construction and out-
fitting of a compliance test facility which will enable NHTSA to perform a
variety of tests on motor vehicles, tires, and other motor vehicle equipment
now limited by the usage of private laboratories.

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 1f 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 der:1..; nent programs will be derived from the Highway Trust Fund. This is being implementat initially in NHTSA's 1972 budget proposal.

of the total amount of $32.1 million ascribed in the preceding table to the Highwa; Trust Fuut in 1972, $29.8 million is requested for highway safety research ind development activities, predominantly attributable to the Alcohol Safety Action Programs (ASAPS). The remainder of $2.3 million provides two-thirds of required financ ing for Feder al administration of the highway safety grant program. of the total 1972 Federal fund requirenent of $56.9 million, the sum of $55.8 aillion represents the funding provided by the Traffic and Highway Safety appropriation. This anount is required to cover total funding requirements for sotor vehicle programs, and partial funding for research and development and administrative support requirements not covered by transfer from other "HTSA accounts. The balance of $1.2 million represents a transfer from the State and Comaunity 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 siiamarized 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 progran expansion proposed in the budget.

A reduction of $.2 million has been applied to the contractual requirements of this activity.

82-781 O -71 - pt. 3 - 5

Motor Vehicle Program An increase of 28 positions and $.3 million is pro-
posed to support the develop.nent 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 Progran - 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 developmental 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 con-
tractual 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.