Graves, Cleaver Mark National Passenger Safety Week

WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO) introduced a resolution marking the first National Passenger Safety Week to run January 23, 2022 through January 29, 2022.

“National Passenger Safety Week is an important reminder that we all have a role to play when it comes to reducing the number of traffic fatalities and increasing safety on our roadways,” said Congressman Graves. “With historic increases in traffic deaths in recent years, despite Americans traveling fewer miles, there’s no better time to encourage passengers to speak out and stand up to stop dangerous, distracted, and impaired driving before it claims a life.”

“Whether it’s asking your child to wear a seatbelt or taking the keys from a friend who has had too much to drink, it’s incredibly important that passengers speak up when they get in the car with a friend or family member who may be distracted, impaired, or driving dangerously” said Congressman Cleaver. “With a troubling increase of traffic fatalities in recent years, it’s critical that we bring this issue to the forefront and begin to educate the American people about the role passengers play in preventing impaired and dangerous driving, which can result in the unnecessary loss of life. Reducing traffic tragedies and increasing passenger and driver safety is an issue that every American can get behind, and that’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan, common sense resolution marking National Passenger Safety Week with Representative Graves.”

Traffic deaths increased 7 percent in 2020 and 18 percent in 2021 according to preliminary estimates of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, despite a 13 percent decrease in the number of miles traveled by Americans on U.S. roadways. Data shows speeding, impaired driving, and failure to wear seatbelts were the leading causes of this increase in fatalities. The purpose of National Passenger Safety Week is to educate and encourage passengers in motor vehicles to advocate for their own safety and the safety of others. Oftentimes, passengers are the first and only line of defense to stop distracted and intoxicated drivers from causing more damage, death, and destruction on our roadways.

The full text of the resolution can be found here.

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