Transporation
Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action, 2006
Transportation Series, No. 31
March 2007
By Melissa A. Savage, Matt Sundeen, Jeanne Mejeur
 Download PDF Version (64-page document)
This report summarizes the many bills regarding traffic safety issues that were considered by state legislatures during the 2006 legislative sessions. The purpose of this report is to provide information about current traffic safety issues to legislators, federal officials and other interested parties.
Introduction
In 2005, more than 6 million police-reported motor vehicle crashes occurred in the United
States, claiming 43,443 lives and injuring more than 2.6 million drivers and passengers. Motor vehicle wrecks are the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 3 and 33. Traffic safety is an important public health issue for many people, including state legislators. In 2006, state legislators debated more than 1,500 traffic safety proposals. These bills focused on ways to keep drivers, passengers and pedestrians safe on the road. Some focused on seat belt use, while others proposed possible solutions to deal with speeders and repeat drunk drivers. This report summarizes the traffic safety legislation considered during 2006. The ninth in a series, it serves as a follow-up to Traffic Safety and Public Health: State Legislative Action, 2005 (December 2005).
Issues examined in this report include occupant protection, distracted driving, driver licensing, impaired driving, aggressive driving, speed limits, motorcycle helmets, automated enforcement, school bus safety, and pedestrian and bicycle safety. Tables and charts detailing state traffic safety laws are included, along with contacts and links for further information (see appendix A for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regional office contact information).
All bills discussed in this report can be found in the NCSL - NHTSA Traffic Safety Legislative Tracking Database (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncsl)
Contents
- Summary
- Introduction
- Occupant Protection
- Impaired Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Drivers Licensing
- Aggressive Driving
- Speed Limits
- Automated Enforcement
- Motorcycle Helmets
- School Bus Safety
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
- Appendices
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A. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regional Offices
B. State Safety Belt Use Laws
C. State Laws on Child Restraint Use
D. Children not Covered by Safety Belt or Child Restraint Laws
E. State Laws Restricting the Passenger Use of Light Truck Cargo Areas
F. Graduated Licensing Laws
G. Licensing Procedures for Older Drivers
H. State Aggressive Driving Laws
I. State Maximum Speed Limits
J. State Policies Regarding Use of Traffic Cameras
K. Motorcycle Helmet Use Requirements
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