PARS Fights for Safer Roads

A new coalition has been formed in order to promote road safety and raise awareness of traffic safety initiatives that prevent injuries and decrease fatalities in the United States. Dubbed the Partnership for Advancing Road Safety (PARS), the newborn organization will try to send messages like it’s not okay to speed, run red lights, drive while distracted, and others.

"Our mission is to create safer roadways in our communities using education efforts and law enforcement strategies that increase intersection safety, and reduce excessive speeds and distracted driving," said PARS Executive Director David Kelly.

"We believe that public education, cooperation between the public and private sectors and support of volunteer victims' organizations can make roads safer for everyone in the United States and Canada."

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that of the 37,261 fatalities on U.S. roadways in 2008, 31 percent were speeding-related. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the economic cost of speed-related crashes is more than $40 billion each year. NHTSA also reports that speeding now causes as many fatalities as drunk or distracted drivers.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 762 people were killed and an estimated 137,000 were injured in crashes that involved red-light running in 2008. About half of the deaths in red-light running crashes are pedestrians and occupants in other vehicles who are hit by red-light runners, IIHS reports.

"These numbers are staggering and demonstrate the need to move forward with new strategies that save lives," Kelly said. "PARS is committed to leading these efforts."