Inside This Issue...

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released figures that show the lifetime cost of injuries occurring in a single year in the United States totals an estimated $406 billion in medical expenses and productivity losses. Motor vehicle injuries account for 22 percent ($89 billion) of the total costs of injuries. Nearly $80.2 billion of the entire total is attributed to medical expenses, and $326 billion is estimated for lifetime productivity losses for the almost 50 million injuries that required medical treatment in 2000. The costs begin to accumulate when the injuries occur and are spread over each injured person’s expected lifetime. 

The Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles for the province of British Columbia (OSMV) has partnered with the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) to organize a "Forum on Driving and Function." The forum will develop consensus regarding what level of skills and capacities are necessary for safe driving. This information will assist OSMV in revising its "Guide for Physicians in Determining Fitness to Drive a Motor Vehicle." Approximately 40 specialists from Canada, the United States, and Australia will participate in the by-invitation-only forum. It will be held on June 15-16, 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information, contact TIRF's Dean Morin at deanm@trafficinjuryresearch.com.

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) has been contracted by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) and Transport Canada to conduct a national survey of Crown attorneys and defense counsel on impaired driving issues. The survey is meant to increase the understanding of needed improvements to the criminal justice system by examining the legal process as it applies to impaired driving offenders, and identifying factors which may impede the legal process and/or contribute, directly or indirectly, to the failure to reduce alcohol-related collisions further. The survey is underway and a report summarizing the findings will be completed later this year.

As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has published that it will establish a system of records to enhance its ability to manage information sharing and employee access to various information systems of its Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The system will enable FHWA to adequately monitor and identify possible unauthorized access incidents or security breaches of its electronic systems. This notice will be effective, without further notice, on June 12, 2006, unless modified by a subsequent notice to incorporate comments received from the public. Comments must be received by June 2, 2006 to be assured consideration. Send comments to James Kabel, Privacy Officer, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 4428, Washington, DC 20590 or James.Kabel@fhwa.dot.gov. 

The Federal Highway Administration has updated the regulations governing the enforcement of commercial vehicle size and weight to incorporate provisions enacted in the SAFETEA-LU Act, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the Transportation, Treasury Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006. This action would further add various definitions; correct obsolete references, definitions, and footnotes; eliminate redundant provisions; amend numerical route changes to the National Highway designations; and incorporate statutorily mandated weight and length limit provisions. Comments must be received on or before June 30, 2006. Mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, submit electronically at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit, or fax comments to (202) 493-2251. Alternatively, comments may be submitted to the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. All comments should include the docket number FHWA-2006-24134.

The Federal Highway Administration invites public comments about its intention to request the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) approval for changes to a currently approved information collection titled Highway Safety Improvement Programs. Please submit comments by July 3, 2006. You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number 2006-24672 to the docket clerk via mail to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; fax comments to (202) 493-2251; or submit electronically at http://dms.dot.gov.
 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is requesting comments on provisions and parameters for the Real-Time System Management Information Program contained in section 1201 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Comments must be received on or before July 3, 2006. Mail or hand deliver comments for docket number FHWA-06-24219 to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, or submit electronically at http://dms.dot.gov/submit, or fax comments to (202) 493-2251. Alternatively, comments may be submitted to the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) plans to modernize the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS), in response to Title IV (Motor Carrier Safety Reauthorization Act of 2005) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which was signed into law on Aug. 10, 2005. SAFETEA-LU authorizes $28 million (FY 2006-2009) to carry out this project. The Federal Register notice provides an overview of the key tasks associated with the CDLIS Modernization project. The dates associated with this effort assume that a grant will be awarded by FMCSA to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) so that the CDLIS Modernization effort can begin in May 2006. Under this plan, all states will implement the modernized CDLIS software by December 2010. However, FMCSA will adjust dates and project activities based on actual funds appropriated and other needs. For more information, contact Dominick Spataro, Division Chief, Commercial Driver’s License Division, at (202) 366-2995 or Dominick.Spataro@fmcsa.dot.gov.

This week, AAMVA President and CEO Linda Lewis-Pickett, announced that in a restructuring, Michael Calvin, senior vice president, Programs Division, was appointed as the Deputy CEO. He replaces Executive Vice President Larry Greenberg, who retired this month after 15 years of service with the organization. Mike Calvin has extensive experience managing driver’s license and vehicle issues, and has led AAMVA’s programs division for over 15 years. In addition to Calvin’s appointment, AAMVA is streamlining operations within the association to improve efficiencies in program areas. This new organizational structure was effective May 1, 2006. For more information, view AAMVA's press release.