NHTSA Presents 14 Awards for Safety Accomplishments

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
April 10, 2006

NHTSA 01-06
Monday, April 10, 2006
Contact: Rae Tyson,
Telephone: (202) 366-9550

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today recognized 14 individuals and organizations from across the nation for accomplishments in improving traffic safety.

During a luncheon at the 24^th Annual Lifesavers conference, NHTSA Acting Administrator Jacqueline Glassman presented Public Service Awards to representatives of Alaska, Mississippi and South Carolina for their efforts to pass primary safety belt laws and 11 individuals and organizations for their work to reduce deaths and injuries on America’s roadways.

"For every mile we travel in our motor vehicles, Americans today are nearly 20 percent less likely to die in a crash than they were just a decade ago," said Glassman. "The people we honor today prove that every element of every community in America has an important voice in making traffic on our roadways safe."

The 14 individuals and organizations given highway safety awards are:

• American Academy of Pediatrics, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois for 75 years of dedication to the health, safety, and well-being of America’s children, and for continued commitment to protecting children from crash-related injuries and death.
• Rosalie Berquist, Prevention Director of the Brain Injury Association, Westborough, Massachusetts, for tireless and outstanding efforts to prevent life-threatening injuries from traffic crashes and educating the public on the proper use of occupant restraints, resulting in an improved quality of life for the people of Massachusetts and throughout New England.
• State Sen. Con Bunde, Anchorage, Alaska, for leadership and commitment to saving lives in Alaska through passage of a primary safety belt law.
• Chief Michael Capriglione, Newport Police Department, Newport, Delaware, for outstanding leadership serving as a primary law enforcement advocate for the Checkpoint Strikeforce Campaign in Delaware.
• East Valley DUI Task Force of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, for 20 years of commitment to removing impaired drivers from the Greater Phoenix East Valley’s roadways and making them safer for motorists.
• Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association, Brecksville, Ohio, for efforts in promoting traffic safety initiatives in fifteen Northern Ohio counties.
• Phyllis Larimore, RN, BSN, Car Seat Program Coordinator, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, for resourcefulness and dedication to the promotion of child passenger safety and occupant protection programs in order to save the lives of young children throughout Kansas and Missouri.
• Robyn Litke, Coordinator, Red River Valley Safe Communities Coalition Fargo, North Dakota, for exemplary traffic safety service to promote safety belt use and reduce impaired driving and underage drinking in the Red River Valley community.
• Mississippi Primary Safety Belt Law Team, for their outstanding leadership and collaborative commitment to the passage of primary safety belt legislation in Mississippi.
• Tammy Ryden, Citizen Traffic Safety Advocate, Norman, Oklahoma, for tireless commitment to reducing traffic deaths and injuries through countless volunteer hours to educate law enforcement, students, and the public on the importance of safety belt use.
• South Carolina Primary Safety Belt Law Team, for outstanding leadership and collaborative commitment to the passage of primary safety belt legislation in South Carolina.
• Earl M. Sweeney, Assistant Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Public Safety, Concord, New Hampshire for outstanding leadership and innovative contributions to traffic law enforcement and traffic safety.
• Westchester County Probation Department of DWI Enforcement Unit, White Plains, New York, for unique and innovative programs developed to deter impaired driving among those convicted of this offense.
• Greg Wilkinson, Public Information Officer, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage, Alaska, for dedication to reducing deaths and injures caused by impaired drivers and promoting the use of safety belts in Alaska through highway safety communications and outreach.

Over 2,000 people registered to attend this year’s three-day Lifesavers conference, in Austin, Texas. The meeting features 104 exhibitors and 90 workshops that focus on common-sense solutions to critical highway safety issues and is considered the leading event of its kind in the United States. Topics being covered include child passenger safety, impaired driving prevention, occupant protection, and new vehicle safety technology.