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EnCompass®
The AAA Companion |
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January | February 2005
Volume 79 Issue 1
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Tony DeNovellis
President and CEO
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President's Message
Teen driving safety needs one last effort
President's Message
In the November/December 2004 issue of EnCompass, I informed you that a AAA-supported draft of a Colorado teen passenger restriction bill had passed through the influential Transportation and Legislative Review Committee by a unanimous vote. This bill will now be introduced into the state Legislature in January 2005 (after which it will be posted at www.aaa.com/teens or available by calling 303-753-8800, ext. 8207 for a copy.)
AAA Colorado believes that this bill is the last piece of the puzzle for creating a comprehensive Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) system.
It is painfully evident through the number of crashes involving inexperienced teen drivers carrying large numbers of siblings, friends and peers, that passenger restrictions are needed and necessary.
During 2004, AAA members spoke with a strong, consistent voice on this issue: You want teen passenger restrictions and you want AAA Colorado to help make this happen. In the September/October EnCompass, we asked that you sign and return a response card demonstrating your support of a teen passenger restriction bill. As of mid-November, more than 5,600 members from around the state returned the card, and nearly 1,000 people (members and non-members) filled out the card online.
AAA Colorado has helped form a Teen Driving Coalition that is dedicated to developing educational outreach strategies for legislators, media, parents and teens about teen driving issues in general, and specifically about the need for teen passenger restrictions.
Additionally, we will be participating in upcoming committee hearings and public discussions about the merits of the proposed teen passenger restriction bill. We also plan a physical display of the response cards at the state capitol so legislators can see the extensive support this bill has throughout Colorado.
All of which leads me to my final request. I ask for your support one more time to help this teen passenger restriction bill become law. Please turn to Commentary (pages 8 and 9) to see what you can do to help make this happen.
Lastly, although AAA Colorado has focused attention on issues related to teen drivers in 2004, our work continues across many traffic safety areas, including those related to all drivers. If you turn to Auto Talk, you'll learn more about the most recent development in AAA's "Lifelong Safe Mobility" initiative, a new self-assessment tool that helps all drivers stay safe.
Tony DeNovellis
President and CEO
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