applicable to Federal, State, and local Governments but promote the inspection of automobiles of individuals to insure safe operation. All employees of the Federal Government are encouraged to participate in these local activities; (4) The publication and distribution by GSA to Federal agencies of a Handbook for the Federal Driver and a pamphlet entitled "The Driver," designed to remind operators of motor vehicles of good driving practices and alert them to unusual hazards; and (5) The publication and distribution by GSA of a Guide for Preventive Maintenance of Vehicles, A safe vehicle is one of the key objectives of this Guide. Systematic scheduled inspections are made of such items as brakes, master cylinders, stopping effectiveness, sicering linkage, lights, horn, safety belts, wheel alignment, tires, tread depths, and tire cuts. This program was endorsed by the Interdepartmental Highway Safety Board and is now in its third year of operating throughout the Interagency Motor Pool System and several agencies. This concludes my prepared statement, Mr. Chairman. However, if you or members of your Subcommittee have any questions you may wish to ask we shall endeavor to answer them at this time or furnish the desired information for the record. Mr. KNOTT. I would like to point out that I have with me when we reach the point of discussion the Commissioner of Federal Supply Service, Mr. Abersfeller, on my right, and on my left, Mr. Conrad, who is Commissioner of Transportation and Communications Service. Mr. Abersfeller is concerned with procurement of vehicles that the Government buys, and Mr. Conrad's interest is in the operation of our motor pools in some 87 major cities throughout the country. FACTORS INDUCING INTEREST IN TRAFFIC SAFETY I assure you, Mr. Chairman, that within the bounds of our statutory authority and responsibilities we shall continue to do what 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 Government; (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. FEDERAL STANDARDS SPECIFICATION DEVELOPED BY GSA In accordance with section 206(a) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377, as amended), GSA, through its Federal Supply Service, prescribes Federal standard purchase specifications. In the automotive field, GSA has developed a Federal standard which provides for the inclusion of numerous safety features in motor vehicles procured by the Government. In addition, the standard incorporates, by reference, applicable Federal specifications for component items designed to insure safety in the use of motor vehicles. These items include brake linings, brake shoes, tires, and tubes. EXHIBIT 15 TIRE SAFETY TESTING GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Dear Senator Ribicoff: In accordance with discussions between Mr. Jerome Sonosky of your staff and Mr. George W. Ritter, Assistant Commissioner for Standards and Quality Control, Federal Supply Service, I thought you would like to know that the development of our initial Standards for safety devices for automotive vehicles is nearing completion and we expect to publish them in the Federal Register about June 30, 1965. One of these Standards (515/15) covers tires and safety rims for automotive vehicles. This Standard requires that automotive vehicles be equipped with tires which conform to Federal Specification ZZ-T-381. While this Specification includes certain test requirements which acceptable tires must meet, we are not satisfied that it gives us the degree of safety and quality which we feel essential. Accordingly, we have made arrangements with the National Bureau of Standards to activate their Tire Testing Laboratory and have developed a program to test a wide range of "first line tires" to establish safety and quality levels. Our tire testing program includes both the laboratory testing at the National Bureau of Standards and actual road tests. We expect to test tires, which have been subjected to varying degrees of road wear, in the laboratory to evaluate the degree of deterioration that may take plac at different points of tread wear. We are optimistic that the results of our testing program will enable us to upgrade our Specification to insure that the Government receives tires of a higher quality and improved safety characteristics. Under its authority, GSA has established a comprehensive program for the development of specifications and standards to insure that the Federal Government obtains passenger-carrying motor vehicles, as well as other types of vehicles which possess characteristics suited to Government needs. Those specifications and standards are developed in consultation with industry, associations, and technical societies, as well as with representatives of other Federal agencies. In prescribing Federal standards and specifications for motor vehicles purchased for use by the Government, GSA has and shall continue to keep safety in mind as one of the major objectives of such standards and specifications. VEHICLES ON LEASE PLAN VERSUS GOVERNMENT OWNED Senator SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I don't like to interrupt the thought, but I would like to say this: Did you hear Mr. Gronouski tell about the lease plan which his Department has gone into? Mr. KNOTT. I know about this plan. Unfortunately, I was not here. Mr. Conrad, who is our Commissioner of Transportation and who operates the motor pools, was here. Senator SIMPSON. Would that lease plan indicate a uniformity : throughout all the Federal agencies? Mr. KNOTT. No, sir. We own the vehicles that we operate, some 35,000 that are in our motor fleet. Senator SIMPSON. Thank you. Senator RIBICOFF. I am just curious. One of the breaks that the Government has when it owns its own vehicles is that you don't pay taxes; isn't that correct? Mr. KNOTT. We pay the Federal excise tax. Senator RIBICOFF. If you leased it from a private source, wouldn't the private source have to pay the taxes when they buy the cars? Mr. KNOTT. Yes, sir. Senator RIBICOFF. I recall, as Governor, that one of the breaks you have is that when the State was through using its cars and sold them, the loss was not too great because of what the State used to save on the State and Federal taxes that we pay when we get executive bids. The thought occurs to me, as Senator Simpson is pursuing this inquiry, whether in the long run the Federal Government would be better off leasing than continuing as they are-owning. I imagine that is what Senator Simpson is driving at. Mr. KNOTT. Yes. Senator RIBICOFF. I am just curious. It is a sideline to the inquiry, and it has been opened up, and I think Senator Simpson is correct in pursuing that. Mr. KNOTT. Of course, it is true that those are individual mail carriers, as I understand it, who are located in places which often could not be served by our motor pool operations. On the other hand, Senator, to pursue your point, it is a fact that our normal operation calls for the disposal of cars after 6 years, or 60,000 miles, whichever first occurs, and with a statutory limitation on what we may pay for vehicles. With good maintenance during that period of time, we are quite pleasantly surprised with the Government's recovery in the disposal of these vehicles. |