Category Archives: Safety Advocacy

Back home from 2 days in Washington with 20,000 Vision Zero Petitions; a short report

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety,

We arrived back home tonight after an intense two days of meetings in Washington, DC. We shared the highlights with family members who had not gone with us. But I am still sorting out how it went and will write a more in-depth report tomorrow.

Emotions were continuously at the surface–

  • from the compassion of policy officials as I shared with them how this morning I had reached in the pocket of my coat, which I had forgotten was once Mary’s, and unexpectedly discovered a folded piece of paper which was Mary’s sermon notes taken by her on a Sunday in March 2013–not too many weeks before the crash Mary's sermon notes Spring 2013
  • to the numerous times when I would speak out with strong conviction about an area of traffic safety which needed to be understood and addressed.  Washington Vision Zero Petition photos 009

Meeting with Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

All in all, I am exhausted but thankful for those who joined with us and for the opportunity to have delivered 20,000+ signatures to government officials with the hope that they will heed our petition and act with compassion and wisdom.

More later.

Remembering the reason for our advocacy; Our first post 2 years ago: Meet AnnaLeah & Mary

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy,

We launched this website two years ago with the first post on March 5, 2014:

Meet AnnaLeah & Mary

We will always remember you.

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We have over 20,000 Vision Zer0 Petition Signatures to take to Washington! Hallelujah!

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety,

Thank you for helping us take 20,000 Vision Zer0 Petition Signatures to Washington! Hallelujah!

 

Mary running

Awesome, Mary would say.

Vision Zero Petition in Memory of Mary & AnnaLeah and countless others

If 40 more people sign our Vision Zero Petition, we would take 20,000 signatures to DC.

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety,

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SIGN HERE: Save Lives Not Dollars: Urge DOT to Adopt a Vision Zero Policy

A Public Comment on Underride Rulemaking re: original intent of NHTSA in 1969

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, ,

I just read an interesting Public Comment on the Underride Rulemaking: Comment from 7-E Seven Hills Engineering, LLC – Transport Canada

Perry Ponder also commented on the Single Unit Truck Underride Rulemaking last fall: Comment from 7-E Seven Hills Engineering, LLC – Transport Canada

Of special interest to me was the information in both of his Comments on 1969 rulemaking:

“I will begin by pointing out that continuing to allow truck and trailer induced PCI to occur at otherwise survivable crash speeds (delta-V’s of 45mph and beyond) discards years of crashworthiness efforts and wastes the safety benefits we have come to expect and pay for in our cars.

From an engineering perspective the need for vehicle crash compatibility in the form of adequate heavy truck underride guarding is apparent in order to protect against the hazard of PCI which exposes the vulnerable head and neck region to severe, potentially fatal or crippling injury.

This hazard – easily remedied by readily available materials and simple structural analysis – is present also on the sides of heavy trailers and trucks. The FMVSS standard should be broadened to include guarding for the sides and rear of heavy straight trucks, as well as the sides of heavy trailers. This was the original intent of NHTSA rulemakers in the 1969 NPRM, Docket No. 1-11; Notice 2.”

I need to find out more about that Notice.

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100 signatures will get us to 20,000 #VisionZer0

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy,

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Help us take the message that we want to bring a halt to preventable crash deaths. For Mary and AnnaLeah.

100 more people can help us take 20,000 Vision Zero Petition signatures to DC: Save Lives Not Dollars: Urge DOT to Adopt a Vision Zero Policy

Media Advisory: Delivery of Vision Zero Petition to DC & Release of our Vision Zero Petition Book

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy,

Plans are being finalized for our delivery of almost 20,000 Vision Zero Petitions to Washington on March 3 and 4. Details are available in this Karth Vision Zero Media Advisory.

We have published a 544 page book to take with us to Washington to show government officials what we are talking about when we are asking for Vision Zero: Towards Zero Crash Deaths & Serious Injuries. The book contains all of the Vision Zero Petition signatures along with the specific details of our requests for:

  1. A National Vision Zero Goal.
  2. A White House Vision Zero Task Force.
  3. A Vision Zero Executive Order.
  4. DOT Vision Zero Rulemaking Policy (and specifically applied to the truck underride rule).

Here is a PDF: Vision Zero Petition Book Feb 2016.

The book can be purchased here.

This is our current Washington schedule (subject to change):
  • 9 a.m. March 3, Rep. Ellmers’ staff
  • 10 a.m., March 3, Rep. Cartwright’s staff
  • 11 a.m., March 3, Rep. Holding’s staff
  • noon, March 3, Sen. Isakson’s staff
  • 2 p.m., March 3, joint meeting with Sen. Blumenthal’s staff & Sen. Markey’s staff
  • 9 a.m., March 4, Sen. Burr’s staff
  • 11 a.m., March 4, DOT policy officials
  • 1:30 p.m., March 4, Underride Roundtable planning meeting

Heading for the finish line (of this race anyway). We’ll be driving to Washington tomorrow. Help us get 20,000 signatures before we leave the house.

Sign & Share our Vision Zero Petition

8 Picture 657Speak out for AnnaLeah & MaryVision Zero Book 024Vision Zero Petition Book Cover

 

Pressing on toward the goal: Taking the Vision Zero Petition to DC, 150 short of 20,000

Safety Advocacy,

See the Karth Vision Zero Media Advisory for our upcoming trip to Washington this week.

Sign the Petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/417/742/234/save-lives-not-dollars-urge-dot-to-adopt-vision-zero-policy/

With the help of less than 200 more people, we will take 20,000 signatures to Washington March 4.

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy,

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“Awesome!” Mary might say. “Cooooooooooool!”

Sign the Vision Zero Petition Here

The AnnaLeah & Mary Memorial Facebook Page is now back up.

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy

I just received a pop-up message from Facebook telling me that my page is now published. This is what it said:

Page Published
After reviewing your appeal, your Page In Memory of AnnaLeah 1995 to 2013 and Mary Lydia Karth 1999 to 2013 has been published. This means it can now be viewed publicly.
No further explanation was given.

Russell Mokhibar, Corporate Crime Reporter, told me, “I sent their press office a query yesterday, they didn’t get back to me.”

I am thankful that it is back up. But I still feel rather vulnerable.

Now I can get back to getting ready to take almost 20,000 Vision Zero Petitions to Washington on Friday.

Save Lives Not Dollars: Urge DOT to Adopt a Vision Zero Policy

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