Thank you for helping us take 20,000 Vision Zer0 Petition Signatures to Washington! Hallelujah!
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.
A Public Comment on Underride Rulemaking re: original intent of NHTSA in 1969
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.
100 signatures will get us to 20,000 #VisionZer0
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
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:
- A National Vision Zero Goal.
- A White House Vision Zero Task Force.
- A Vision Zero Executive Order.
- 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
Pressing on toward the goal: Taking the Vision Zero Petition to DC, 150 short of 20,000
Pressing on toward the goal: Taking the Vision Zero Petition to DC, 150 short of 20,000 https://t.co/EXiwojHk2W pic.twitter.com/DgMESnqdun
— Marianne Karth (@MaryandAnnaLeah) March 1, 2016
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.
The AnnaLeah & Mary Memorial Facebook Page is now back up.
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.
Signer #19,726 commented on our Vision Zero Petition
I just checked the petition site and saw that we are at 19,726. Most recent person to sign added this comment:
Make USA safer, please. My girlfriend in USA got involved in a crash and it was just luck that saved her. She is worth more than any cost to me. Cost of a life is priceless. Please see the emotional side of all the world, please.
Byron Bloch on Auto Safety, Federal Pre-Emption & Vision Zero, Corporate Crime Reporter, Jan. 2011
I was interviewed yesterday by Russell Mokhiber, editor of the Corporate Crime Reporter. He just shared this 2011 article with me:
Here is an excerpt from that article:
The case focuses on a federal rule that allows auto makers to use a seat belt only – without a shoulder belt – on seats next to an aisle in the middle row of a minivan.
In the case in question, the passenger in that middle row seat next to the aisle was killed when the Mazda minivan she was riding in was involved in a head on collision. She was wearing the only belt available – the seat belt – and she jack-knifed – causing fatal internal injuries.
Mazda argued that the federal rule allowing it to put only a seat belt on that middle row seat – without a shoulder belt – pre-empts state common law.
The appellate court agreed with Mazda and the plaintiff appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Auto safety expert Byron Bloch was at the Supreme Court when the justices heard the oral argument in the case last November.
He’s not optimistic about the outcome.
“Chief Justice Roberts focused on various of the economic factors,” Bloch said in an interview with Corporate Crime Reporter last week. “He thought that was an important consideration. Having a shoulder belt might cost Mazda more money. And shouldn’t Mazda be allowed to make economic decisions with regard to these various safety devices in a vehicle?”
Very interesting. Safety vs Profit.
Safety: I do not think that word means what you think it means.
