to the objectives of this bill because of its promise of greater support for accident prevention research and related activity in the Federal Government. At the same time, a general concern was voiced, even by the Department that would be immediately responsible for its administration, that terms of the bill were so broadly stated as to raise the possible issue of duplication of authority and responsibility of other agencies. This and other related legislative proposals will assuredly continue to receive consideration in the Congress, and the Interdepartmental Highway Safety Board will proceed with their evaluation and the development of such specific recommendations as may be appropriate. In addition, the Board may formulate or assist member agencies with legislative proposals. As a result of these opportunities, member agencies will be more intelligently informed and appreciative of mutual needs in highway traffic safety legislation, and improved legislation should result. Immediate Action: The Working Committee of the Board is being directed to examine more closely the adequacy of existing legislation in the area of highway safety, to analyze new proposals, and to advance for consideration by the Board and member agencies any legislative items that can be suitably supported. Improvement of Federal Driving Standards The Interdepartmental Highway Safety Board recognizes that Federal employees who drive motor vehicles in the course of their normal duties are a readily identifiable segment of the total driving population. So that this segment may set a high standard for others and contribute in a practical way to the Federal personnel safety programs of the involved agencies, the criteria used for the licensing and control of Federal drivers deserve special attention. Some months ago the President's Committee for Traffic Safety recommended that a study be made of the driving standards currently in force for Federal personnel, with the thought that some improvement might be in order. After preliminary staff discussions in the Working Committee, the Federal Safety Council was asked and agreed to undertake the feasibility phase of this study, and will determine appropriate methods and estimate the cost of the study. The Council is now at work on the feasibility portion of the study, but has no funds in sight for supporting the principal part of the study. The value of such a study is evident, and the Board believes that funds should be provided to enable the Federal Safety Council to complete the full investigation and prepare a guide on driving standards applicable to Federal personnel. Immediate Action: The Board is advising its Working Committee to proceed with the Federal Safety Council and encourages completion of the project dealing with driving standards for Federal personnel. Preventive Maintenance of Vehicles Just as important as good drivers are good vehicles. The large number of vehicles in the Federal fleet should be in safe mechanical con dition at all times. This objective can be achieved at the practical level by a sound preventive maintenance program. The General Services Administration has recently completed the development and field testing of a preventive maintenance guide, which has been reviewed and approved by the Working Committee. This guide has immediate application to the Federal fleet, and secondary application to other fleets, both local and State government fleets and fleets privately operated. Following appropriate technical review in its member agencies, the Interdepartmental Highway Safety Board expresses its approval in principle of the guide prepared by the General Services Administration and will urge its adoption by fleets both in and out of Government, wherever appropriate. Immediate Action: The Board is indicating by an appropriate letter its approval of the Guide for Preventive Maintenance prepared by the General Services Administration. Seat Belts In answer to a memorandum request dated August 16, 1962, from Mr. T. J. Reardon, Jr., Special Assistant to the President, the Inter departmental Highway Safety Board has given attention to the question of installing seat belts in vehicles owned and operated in the Federal service. The Board believes that this is one of the items where immediate action would be timely and therefore recommends that a Presidential policy declaration be issued, requiring the installation and use of seat belts in federally owned motor vehicles, in substance as follows: 1. It has been established that the use of automobile seat belts will reduce the severity of injuries and the number of deaths resulting om motor vehicle accidents. Therefore, in order to protect Federal rsonnel and to set an example for the public, Federal agencies shall ke leadership by installing seat belts in Federal vehicles and actively romoting their use. 2. To implement this policy, heads of all departments and agencies re requested to: 8. Take action to insure that seat belts are installed in all motor vehicles except those in which this safety b. Provide each vehicle with the number of belts required to afford protection to occupants normally carried. c. Develop and implement programs among their personnel to promote effectively the use of seat belts in both Federal vehicles and vehicles owned by Federal personnel. 3. Belts and their installation in Federal vehicles will conform 。 current Federal specifications. The Board further suggests that a report of progress in achiev ng the goals outlined above be made by Federal agencies to the Interde artmental Highway Safety Board on a fixed date, approximately one year fter release of the policy statement. EXHIBIT 31 MANAGEMENT SURVEY OF Safety OrganIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Memorandum for: Mr. Kermit Gordon, Director, Bureau of the Budget. Enclosed is a copy of the President's letter of January 30 to the Secretary of Commerce on the serious problem of traffic safety. The President has indicated that it would be helpful if the Budget Bureau would make an immediate management survey of the present highway safety organizational structure. I would assume that you would work with Don Hornig insofar as research into this particular problem is concerned and that your people would want to consult with appropriate governmental and nongovernmental agencies, including, of course, the Interdepartmental Highway Safety Board which Secretary Connor heads. LEE C. WHITE, Associate Special Counsel to the President. Secretary CONNOR. On January 30 of this year President Johnson wrote to me conveying his deep personal concern over what has clearly become a critical national problem. He expressed his conviction that a significant national effort to reduce highway accidents is called for. Highway transportation is a wholly indispensable component of the Nation's economy and general well-being and traffic accidents inflict serious social and economic penalties our Nation can ill afford. The highway safety programs within the Department of Commerce will be presented in greater detail by Mr. Rex Whitton, but I would like to take this opportunity to offer a number of observations concerning the proper role of the Federal Government in the field of highway safety. BASIC STATISTICAL DATA AVAILABLE OR LACKING As we have seen, traffic fatalities in 1964 approached 48,000, an increase of 10 percent over the 1963 total. While we do know the number of deaths which occur annually from traffic accidents, the data concerning the number of personal injuries and total number of property damage accidents cannot be regarded as completely accurate. Undoubtedly, the lack of complete and accurate accident information handicaps our efforts at all levels of government. For example, we do not know how many accidents are actually caused by driver error, or by defects in highways or automotive design, or by mechanical failure of the vehicle. We need to intensify our efforts to identify more accurately the causes of highway accidents if we are to lower the accident rate. During 1964 highway travel increased by 40 billion miles, or 5 percent over 1963, to a record 840 billion miles. Vehicle registrations increased by 4 percent over 1963 to a total of 87 million. Drivers totaled about 96 million, or 76 percent of the population between the ages of 15 and 74, with a disproportionately large increase in drivers entering the bottom of the 15 to 74 age group. A recent study by the Bureau of Public Roads indicates that licensed drivers will number 110 million by 1970, 125 million by 1975, and 139 million by 1980. |