WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, was honored by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) for his contributions to improving highway and auto safety and saving lives. 

Chairman Rockefeller has a long history of fighting to make roads and highways safer for American families. Rockefeller’s recent contributions to improving road and highway safety include:

• Authoring the Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2009 (S. 1938), a bill to keep distracted drivers off the road by providing grants to states that enact laws to prohibit texting and hand-held cell phone use while driving.

• Authoring the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 (S. 3302), a bill to improve automobile safety standards, protect drivers and bolster the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) resources, authority and expertise. 

Chairman Rockefeller received the award at the Advocates’ 20th anniversary ceremony today. Chairman Rockefeller’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow:

“I cannot thank you enough for this special honor. Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety continue to do enormously important work and I want to thank you. Please know that I am fighting by your side every day here in the Senate to save lives on our roads. 

“Last year, I introduced the Distracted Driving Prevention Act, which includes a grant program for states that enact laws to prohibit texting and hand-held cell phone use while driving. In 2009, distracted driving killed nearly 6,000 people. Cars and trucks with a distracted driver are deadly weapons. We must take steps to prevent drivers from risking their own lives – and the lives of others – by driving while distracted. It is time to bring a new sense of safety and shared responsibility to our roads.

“That’s also the driving force behind the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 that I introduced this month to improve safety standards, protect drivers and bolster the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) resources, authority and expertise. We have all heard far too many tragic stories of drivers hurt or killed on the roads in West Virginia and all across the nation – countless lives put at risk by outdated standards and ineffective regulators. It is absolutely heartbreaking and it doesn’t have to be.

“I look forward to working with all of you as we build support together and gain momentum to make these strong programs even stronger, make our roads safer, and save lives.”

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