Dec 4, 2015 - Russ Swift. Port St. Lucie, FL. Co-chair, Parents ... Daughter of Virginia Baker, Step-daughter of Randy B
December 4, 2015 Dear Republican and Democratic Leaders of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations: We are writing to urge you to oppose provisions in the FY2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bills (H.R. 2577) that rollback truck safety regulations and jeopardize the safety of truck drivers and the public. None of these provisions has been subject to congressional hearings by the authorizing committees of jurisdiction and should be stripped from the FY2016 omnibus spending bill especially at a time when truck crash deaths and injuries are climbing. These dangerous policy changes benefit special interests and include a controversial mandate that all states be forced to accept longer and more dangerous double 33’ trailer trucks when the Senate has rejected this proposal in two bi-partisan votes; longer working and driving hours for truck drivers when fatigue is already a major problem in the industry; and, special interest exemptions to truck size and weight laws. Furthermore, yesterday the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the FAST Act, H.R. 22, which increases the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) authorization levels for vehicle safety programs to $179 million. Twelve congressional hearings in the past two years have revealed serious vehicle safety defects and auto industry misbehavior. A major factor in NHTSA’s shortcomings in identifying, investigating and acting on deadly defects that have killed and maimed hundreds is the insufficient agency resources needed to effectively oversee the auto industry. Providing adequate funding and staff resources is critical to solving many of the identified problems. We urge you to fully fund NHTSA’s vehicle safety programs at this level in the appropriations bill. Stop Efforts by FedEx and Other Corporate Trucking Giants to Force Longer Trucks on Roads in Every State A major national policy change to allow Double 33’ trailer trucks on our nation’s highways being pushed by a few select trucking companies would override states’ rights, jeopardize safety and damage our nation’s already-crumbling infrastructure. An amendment offered by Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that would require the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to study the safety of Double 33s is a commonsense alternative and we strongly support its inclusion in an overall funding bill. The public strongly opposes allowing oversized trucks on our roads and highways. An independent public opinion poll by ORC International conducted last month found that more than 3 out of 4 Americans (77%) opposed Double 33s. Reject Yet Another Effort for Trucking Interests to Rollback the HOS Rule Truck driver fatigue is a major safety problem that has severe consequences as demonstrated by crashes such as the one that killed comedian James McNair and seriously injured Tracy Morgan. A provision originally slipped into last year’s “Cromnibus” rolls back important and commonsense safety reforms to hours of service rules and significantly increases the working and driving hours for truck drivers from 70 to 82. Once again, the public is adamantly against increasing truck driver working and driving hours as shown in a 2014 survey by Lake Research
Partners wherein 80% of respondents opposed Congress raising the number of hours a semitruck driver is allowed to work in a week. The so-called “Collins Amendment” language should not be extended by burdening the on-going DOT study with new and needless requirements. Oppose Special Interest Exemptions to Federal Truck Size and Weight Limits Special interest truck size and weight exemptions for certain states and industries represent “earmarks” and impose a cost that is ultimately passed on to all American taxpayers who foot the bill for infrastructure damage and repairs. Bigger trucks are bigger safety problems and impose bigger damage on roads and bridges. Currently 32% of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 25% of our bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. A January 2015 poll by Harper Polling found that 76% of the public opposes longer and heavier trucks on the highways. Fund NHTSA’s Motor Vehicle Safety Programs at the Authorized Level in the FAST Act NHTSA’s funding and staffing levels have suffered over the years. Today, 95 percent of transportation-related fatalities and 99 percent of transportation injuries occur on our streets and highways and yet, NHTSA receives only one percent of the overall U.S. DOT budget. NHTSA is responsible for the safety of over 316 million Americans who drive or ride in or are around more than 269 million registered motor vehicles. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all Americans ages five to 24, and the second leading cause of death among adults 25 to 34 years of age. By any measure motor vehicle deaths and injuries are a major and costly public health epidemic. In order to advance safety gains and improve the agency’s effectiveness in detecting, investigating and solving safety threats as well as meeting new expected challenges, an increase in funding is essential and justified for NHTSA. We urge you to fully fund NHTSA’s vehicle safety programs at the $179 million level agreed to in the FAST Act. As you move forward with negotiations on an omnibus bill, we urge you to only include measures that will advance safety and not the agenda of special interests. Sincerely, Jacqueline Gillan, President Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety Teamsters
James P. Hoffa, General President International Brotherhood of
Joan Claybrook, Chair Director Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways and Former Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Director
John Risch, National Legislative SMART-TD (UTU) Andrew McGuire, Executive Trauma Foundation
Jack Gillis, Director of Public Affairs Consumer Federation of America John Lannen, Executive Director
Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director Center for Auto Safety
Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) Founder Road Safe America Janette E. Fennell, Founder & President KidsAndCars.org Daphne Izer, Founder Lisbon, ME Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT) Mother of Jeff Izer, Killed in a truck crash 10/10/93 Jane Mathis St. Augustine, FL Vice President, TSC; Board Member, PATT Member, Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee Mother of David Mathis Mother-in-Law of Mary Kathryn Mathis Killed in a truck crash 3/25/04
Dawn King Davisburg, MI President, Truck Safety Coalition Board Member, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) Daughter of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04 Russ Swift Port St. Lucie, FL Co-chair, Parents Against Tired Truckers Father of Jasen Swift Killed in a truck crash 10/14/93 Linda Wilburn Weatherford, OK Board Member, PATT Mother of Orbie Wilburn Killed in a truck crash 9/2/02
Tami Friedrich Trakh Corona, CA Board Member, CRASH Member, MCSAC
Steve Owings, Co-
Sister of Kris Mercurio, Sister-in-Law of Alan Mercurio, Aunt of Brandie Rooker & Anthony Mercurio Killed in a truck crash 12/27/89 Larry Liberatore Severn, MD Board Member, PATT Father of Nick Liberatore Killed in a truck crash 6/9/97
Marc Johnson Hartwell, GA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Brother of Curt Johnson Killed in truck crash 10/1/2009 Vickie Johnson Hartwell, GA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of Curt Johnson, Step-mother of Crystal Johnson Killed in a truck crash 10/1/2009 Beth Badger Columbus, GA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Daughter of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04 Kathleen Laubach Reno, NV Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Truck Crash Survivor Vincent Laubach Reno, NV Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Truck Crash Survivor Lisa Shrum Fayette, MO Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Daughter of Virginia Baker, Step-daughter of Randy Baker Killed in a truck crash 10/10/06 Tina Silva
Ontario, CA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Sister of Kris Mercurio, Sister-in-Law of Alan Mercurio, Aunt of Brandie Rooker & Anthony Mercurio Killed in a truck crash 12/27/89 Bruce King Davisburg, MI Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Son-in-law of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04 Laurie Higginbotham Memphis, TN Volunteers, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Michael Higginbotham Killed in a truck crash, 11/18/14 Randall Higginbotham Memphis, TN Volunteers, Truck Safety Coalition Father of Michael Higginbotham Killed in a truck crash, 11/18/14 Ed Slattery Lutherville, MD Board Member, PATT Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Husband of Susan Slattery Killed in a truck crash 8/16/10 Sons Matthew & Peter Slattery critically injured
Kate Brown Gurnee, IL Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Graham Brown Injured in a truck crash 5/2/05 Ron Wood Washington, D.C. Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Son of Betsy Wood, Brother of Lisa Wood Martin, Uncle of Chance, Brock, and Reid Martin
Killed in a truck crash 9/20/04 Gary Wilburn Weatherford, OK Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Father of Orbie Wilburn Killed in a truck crash 9/2/02 Henry Steck Homer, NY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition
Melissa Gouge Washington, D.C. Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Cousin of Amy Corbin Killed in a truck crash 8/18/97 Cindy Southern Cleveland, TN Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of James Whitaker, sister-in-law Anthony Hixon and aunt of Amber Hixon Killed in a truck crash 9/18/09 Kim Telep Harrisburg, PA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of Bradley Telep Killed in a truck crash 8/29/12 Alan Dana Plattsburgh, NY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Son of Janet Dana, Uncle of Caitlyn & Lauryn Dana, Brother-in-law of Laurie Dana Killed in a truck crash 7/19/12
Amy Fletcher Perrysburg, OH Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of John Fletcher Killed in a truck crash 1/24/12
Steve Izer Lisbon, ME Board Member, PATT Father of Jeff Izer Killed in a truck crash 10/10/93
Jennifer Tierney Kernersville, NC Board Member, CRASH Member, MCSAC Daughter of James Mooney Killed in a truck crash 9/20/83 Nancy Meuleners Bloomington, MN Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 12/19/89 Paul Badger Davidson, NC Son of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04 Marianne Karth Rocky Mount, NC Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Founder, AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety Mother of AnnaLeah and Mary Karth Killed in a truck crash 5/4/13 Jerry Karth Rocky Mount, NC Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Founder, AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety Father of AnnaLeah and Mary Karth Killed in a truck crash 5/4/13 Frank Wood Falls Church, VA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Father of Dana Wood Killed in a truck crash 10/15/02
Marchelle Wood Falls Church, VA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Dana Wood Killed in a truck crash 10/15/02 Jackie Novak Hendersonville, NC Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Charles “Chuck” Novak
Killed in a truck crash 10/24/10 Julie Branon Magnan South Burlington, VT Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 01/31/02 Wife of David Magnan Killed in a truck crash 01/31/02 Christina Mahaney Jackman, ME Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 7/19/2011 Mother of Liam Mahaney Killed in a truck crash 7/19/2011 Sandra Lance Chesterfield, VA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Kristen Belair Killed in a truck crash 8/26/2009 Debra Cruz Harlingen, TX Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 8/8/2008 Bernadette Fox Davis, CA
Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Best friend of Daniel McGuire Killed in a truck crash 7/10/2014 Warren Huffman Odessa, MI Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Brother of Tim Huffman Killed in a truck crash 5/6/13 Tammy Huffman Odessa, MI Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Sister-in-law of Tim Huffman Killed in a truck crash 5/6/13 Wanda Lindsay New Braunfels, TX Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of John Lindsay Killed in a truck crash 5/7/10 Tom Lindsay Carrollton, KY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Son of John Lindsay Killed in a truck crash 5/7/10 Ashley McMillan Memphis, TN Volunteers, Truck Safety Coalition Girlfriend of Michael Higginbotham Killed in a truck crash, 11/18/14 Michelle Novak Delevan, NY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Aunt of Charles “Chuck” Novak
Killed in a truck crash 10/24/10
John Ramsey Edneyville, NC Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition
