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Safety and Financial Responsibility

Milo W. Chalfant, Chief, Driver Improvement Control, Michigan Department of State, Lansing, Michigan

Traffic Safety Promotion

Robert M. Sorensen, District Director, Minnesota and Wisconsin, National Safety Council, Chicago. (Racine, Wisconsin)

Vehicle Registration

E. J. Amey,. Director, Reciprocity Program, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Washington, D. C.

30.

Senator RIBICOFF. We certainly are very grateful to you. I know you have given your time and public service for the good of your fellow man. Thank you very much for appearing before us this morning.

Mr. Knott, please.

You may proceed in your own way, Mr. Knott. We appreciate your coming here.

STATEMENT OF LAWSON B. KNOTT, JR., ACTING ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION; ACCOMPANIED BY ROBERT B. CONRAD, COMMISSIONER, TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE; AND H. A. ABERSFELLER, COMMIS SIONER, FEDERAL SUPPLY SERVICE

Mr. KNOTT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We do have a prepared statement. I will not use the committee's time to read all of it, but I will use it as a pretty close guide.

Senator RIBICOFF. The statement, as you have it here, will go in the record as read.

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EXHIBIT 14

atement prepared by Lawson B. Knott, Jr., Acting Administrator of General Services Administration

r. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:

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It is a pleasure to appear before you in connection with the IKA MOIRA

arings you are holding on the efficiency, economy and interagency

>ordination of the program of the Federal Government in highway T2991Q R

fety and to discuss with you the role of the General Services Adminis

ation in this respect.

As pointed out by the President in his message to the Congress ! February 8, 1965, on the subject of Natural Beauty: "More than ay country ours is an automobile society. For most Americans the atomobile is a principal instrument of transportation, work, daily :tivity, recreation and pleasure." And, as you pointed out,

ir. Chairman, on the floor of the Senate on February 18, 1965, in mouncing these hearings: "Traffic accidents are the fourth leading use of death in this country, ranking behind only heart disease, incer, and stroke." Further, that the total number of people killed traffic accidents during 1964 is expected to exceed 48, 000 before e records are closed, and that over 3 million people suffered affic-related injuries during the year. You also pointed out that y conservative estimates, 8 billion dollars has been lost through affic accidents.

In view of such grim statistics, Mr. Chairman, it goes without saying that the Federal Government, 26 owner and operator of oɔne of i the largest fleets of motor vehicles, clearly has an obligation to continue to take whatever steps are necessary and feasible to combat the annual tragic toll of deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accident

As Acting Administrator of General Services, I want to assure you that within the bounds of our statutory authority and responsibilities we shall continue to do everything we can to assist in preventing traffic accidents and protecting persons and property therefrom The General Services Administration is vitally interested in and concerned about motor vehicle and traffic safety because of such important factors as:

(1) The obligation to set a national example for the public
that will encourage more extensive use of passenger safety
devices in motor vehicles;

(2) The responsibility for prescribing Federal standard

purchase specifications, including the prescribing of

safety standards for passenger-carrying motor vehicles

procured for use by the Federal Governineut;

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(3) The maximum utilization of Government-owned motor

vehicles through safe operation;

(4) The reduction of tort claims costs resulting from motor

vehicle accidents; and

(5) The operation of Government-owned motor vehicles at the
lowest possible cost to the Government through safe driving.

In accordance with Section 206(a) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, 63 Stat. 377, as amended, GSA, hrough its Federal Supply Service, prescribes Federal standard urchase specifications. In the automotive field, GSA has developed · Federal standard which provides for the inclusion of numerous afety features in motor vehicles procured by the Government. In ddition, the standard incorporates, by reference, applicable Federal pecifications for component items designed to insure safety in the se of motor vehicles. These items include brake linings, brake hoes, tires and tubes.

Under its authority, GSA has established a comprehensive program ›r the development of specifications and standards to insure that the ederal Government obtains passenger-carrying motor vehicles, as ell as other types of vehicles which possess characteristics suited › Government needs, These specifications and standards are

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