Decade of the 00’s

2009 - RSF launched four out of six Safer Roads public education campaigns with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, University of Delaware, Michigan Department of Transportation and the Tribal Technical Assistance Program of the Michigan Technological University.  We also held the 2009 Natioanl Roadway Safety Awards in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration on Capitol Hill.  US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood delivered the keynote address.
2008 - RSF began development of a Public Information Campaign, “Safer Roads: Building Safety Into Your Drive,” which will seek applications from community groups that want to work with RSF to undertake public information and education campaigns on various roadway safety issues in their communities. RSF’s grant from the Federal Highway Administration will help fund initiatives, which are expected to launch this fall.
2007 - With its co-sponsor, the Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety, the Roadway Safety Foundation conducted the 2007 National Roadway Safety Awards program and competition. The Foundation introduced a quarterly online publication, updating the Roadway Safety Reporter.
2006 - The Federal Highway Administration awarded a $1.722 million public road safety contract to the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) for 2006-2008.
2005 - With extensive lobbying, media, and grassroots efforts, the American Highway Users Alliance, RSF’s parent organization, successfully influenced the record-breaking $286 billion of funding in the highway reauthorization bill - SAFETEA-LU, which included funds for road safety initiatives.
2001 -The Federal Highway Administration and RSF as its co-sponsor launched a biennial National Roadway Safety Awards program to recognize outstanding safety achievements by public- and private-sector organizations. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, RSF introduced a first-of-its-kind Roadway Safety Guide designed to provide local elected officials and other community leaders with basic information to improve roadway safety in their community.
2000 - The Foundation launched a national public service announcement campaign called “It’s No Accident.” Designed to make drivers aware of common roadway hazards so they will drive with extra care when hazards are encountered, the campaign targeted nine pilot cities.

Decade of the 90’s

1997 - RSF released Improving Roadway Safety: Current Issues, the Foundation’s first research project that reviewed 175 studies completed over a 12-year period of roadway safety deficiencies and countermeasures. The report’s release coincided with a Senate hearing on reauthorization of surface transportation legislation.
1995 - The Roadway Safety Foundation was created and chartered by The Highway Users as the successor of the Automotive Safety Foundation. After The Highway Users led a strong national lobbying, media and grassroots advocacy campaign, the National Highway System was enacted.

Decade of the 80’s

1989 - The Highway Users Federation (predecessor of the American Highway Users Alliance) produced a nine-point future highway program and presented it to Congress and the Administration. It also launched a national public information campaign to generate public support for the national highway program. Virtually all Federation recommendations found their way into the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
1985 - The Federation sponsored a workshop on older driver safety and mobility with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the U.S. Administration on Aging, and other agencies and industries, focusing national attention on the specific problems of older drivers.
1981 - The Federal-aid Highway Act of 1981 established the Interstate resurfacing, restoration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction (4R) program.

Decade of the 70’s

1976 - The Federal-aid Highway Act of 1976 provided funds to resurface, restore, and rehabilitate (3R) deteriorating segments of Interstate, which reached their 20-year design life.
1974 - The Federation launched a multi-year “3 by 80″ program to reduce the mileage death rate from over 4 to no more than 3 per 100 million miles driven by the year 1980, a goal achieved in 1982.
1972 - ASF issued an updated version of A Resource Curriculum in Driver and Traffic Safety Education, which became the basic document for high school driver education in the U.S.
1971 - The Federation published Urban Parks and Roads and Let’s Talk Sense About Transit, which become influential nationally. More than 500,000 Federation-produced items on traffic safety were distributed to public officials, schools, and other groups.
1970 - The Highway Users Federation was formed by the merger of the Automotive Safety Foundation (ASF), National Highway Users Conference (NHUC), and the Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee. The Federation led the private sector effort to implement National Highway Program Safety Standards.

Decade of the 60’s

1966 - The Highway Safety Act of 1966 established the National Highway Program Safety Standards, laying the groundwork for federal-state-private sector partnership in traffic accident reduction.
1961 - President John F. Kennedy enlarged the membership of the President’s Committee for Traffic Safety and added four Cabinet heads as ex-officio members.

Decade of the 50’s

1956 - The 1956 Federal-aid Highway Act authorized a 41,000-mile Interstate Highway System. About 2,100 miles of toll roads were immediately integrated into the system. The Federal Highway Trust Fund was established to finance federal-aid highways from taxes on motor fuel, tires, trucks, and buses.
1954 - President Eisenhower called the White House Conference on Highway Safety, and appointed the President’s Committee to provide continuing leadership.
1953 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower invited business leaders to the White House to discuss ways to step up the highway safety program. ASF helped to launch a full-scale study of highway laws in all states.
1952 - The Federal-aid Highway Act of 1952 increased federal support for Primary and Secondary Highway Systems. The millionth traffic death occurred in the U.S. since the advent of the automobile.

Decade of the 40’s

1947 - ASF mobilized automobile and tire dealer support for a safety “Action Program” by financing the Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee (subsequently the Dealers Safety and Mobility Council).
1946 - Acting on ASF idea, President Truman called the first President’s Highway Safety Conference, which adopted the “Action Program” for traffic safety.
1944 - The Federal-aid Highway Act of 1944 authorized the designation of 40,000 miles of interstate highways between principal cities and industrial centers. However, no federal funds were specifically earmarked for interstate highways.
1942 - The War Production Board issued an order stopping all construction not essential to the war effort. ASF activities were directed to the war effort through the Highway Traffic Advisory Committee to the War Department, and programs for rubber conservation and steel scrap salvage.
1941 - Congress passed the Defense Highway Act providing $150 million for access roads and $125 million to correct deficiencies in strategic highway network. Traffic deaths hit an all-time high of nearly 40,000.

Decade of the 30’s

1939 - The Bureau of Public Roads (forerunner of today’s Federal Highway Administration) suggested to Congress the development of an interregional system of high-capacity highways. There were an increased number of ASF grants for safety projects conducted by the National Education Association, 4-H Clubs, and the National Grange.
1937 - The Automotive Safety Foundation (ASF) was created by automobile and allied industries to coordinate highway safety activities and place the industry effort on a permanent basis. President Roosevelt ordered a feasibility study of major cross-country highways.
1935 - Reader’s Digest sparked a public outcry over traffic fatalities with its article, “And Sudden Death.” In the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act, Congress provided $200 million to help eliminate grade crossing hazards.
1934 - Congress passed the Hayden-Cartwright Act, which provided emergency funding for urban and secondary farm-to-market roads, abolished limits on federal funding per mile of road, and declared congressional policy against diversion of highway funds to non-highway purposes.
1932 - Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then president of General Motors, and other industry leaders founded the National Highway Users Conference (NHUC) - original predecessor to the American Highway Users Alliance - to work for good, all-weather roads in every state to “get the farmers out of the mud” and to protect highway funding sources from depression-born demands for new tax revenues. Congress passed the Emergency Relief and Construction Act, appropriating $120 million to the states.

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Glossary of Terms
American Highway Users Alliance
Automotive Safety Foundation (ASF)
Highway Users Federation (HUF)
National Highway Users Conference (NHUC)
Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF)