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American Morning

Traffic Deaths

Aired April 25, 2003 - 08:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A disturbing trend on the nation's highways. Traffic fatalities at their highest level in 12 years. The figures are being pushed upward by a number of factors, including an increase in rollovers of trucks and SUVs, also more motorcycle deaths involving riders over the age of 50, and a jump in alcohol-related fatalities.
Dr. Jeffrey Running is head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He's live in D.C. to talk about more on this report with us.

Doctor, good morning to you. What gives with this report, 12 years, highest since 1990?

DR. JEFFREY RUNGE, NHTSA CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR: Obviously, it's very disturbing. We lost 42,850 Americans last year on our nation's streets and highways. And we look at this as an epidemic, but one, in fact, that has a cure.

So we want to get the message out, Bill, that there is a cure to this disease. In fact, buckling one's safety belt is the safest way to move about this country. Most of these deaths that you talked about a minute ago, the increase in rollover deaths, are due to the fact that people are not buckling their safety belts, especially in pickup trucks and other light trucks.

HEMMER: You point out the statistic. We can put it on our screen for our viewers to see it: 25 percent of traffic deaths last year, 2002, occurred in rollover crashes. In addition to that, same year, rollovers involving SUVs, almost 10 percent from the previous year. And there's another amazing statistic out there. Do you believe truly that if you wear your seatbelt when riding or driving an SUV, the death rate could be cut by 80 percent?

RUNGE: Well, seatbelts are 80 percent effective in protecting you from death in a rollover. And that means that you cut your risk by that much. Because of the proliferation on these vehicles on our nation's highways, higher center of gravity vehicles that are likely to rollover, makes it absolutely imperative that people wear their safety belts.

HEMMER: Why don't you think people are getting the message out there about this?

RUNGE: I think the message is very well out there. As a matter of fact, 75 percent of Americans do buckle their safety belts. The mortality problem really comes largely from that group of people that does not yet do that. Obviously, there are some crashes in which your safety belt will not protect you, but your odds are double of survival if you have your safety belt fastened.

HEMMER: And the drinking and driving statistic is something we're shaking our heads about again. I think it goes back to the message, again, the point is, and the question is, again, why, after so many years trying to pound this into people's heads about the dangers of doing it, why the numbers you see are going up yet again.

RUNGE: There is a limit to what public education can accomplish. In fact, the gains that were made in the '80s and early '90s were made by people who were willingly modify their behavior and take personal responsibility for their actions. The segment of people that we're seeing now that are involved in most of the impaired driving deaths have a much worse time with alcohol. They have alcohol problems, they need treatment, they need intervention, they need to get into the system, and the best way to do that is through scientifically based laws and strict enforcement of those laws.

HEMMER: In the meantime, wear your seat belt and watch your speed.

RUNGE: Absolutely.

HEMMER: Thank you, doctor, Jeffrey Runge, head of the NHTSA, as we call it, the short acronym here in D.C..

RUNGE: Thanks a lot.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired April 25, 2003 - 08:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A disturbing trend on the nation's highways. Traffic fatalities at their highest level in 12 years. The figures are being pushed upward by a number of factors, including an increase in rollovers of trucks and SUVs, also more motorcycle deaths involving riders over the age of 50, and a jump in alcohol-related fatalities.
Dr. Jeffrey Running is head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He's live in D.C. to talk about more on this report with us.

Doctor, good morning to you. What gives with this report, 12 years, highest since 1990?

DR. JEFFREY RUNGE, NHTSA CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR: Obviously, it's very disturbing. We lost 42,850 Americans last year on our nation's streets and highways. And we look at this as an epidemic, but one, in fact, that has a cure.

So we want to get the message out, Bill, that there is a cure to this disease. In fact, buckling one's safety belt is the safest way to move about this country. Most of these deaths that you talked about a minute ago, the increase in rollover deaths, are due to the fact that people are not buckling their safety belts, especially in pickup trucks and other light trucks.

HEMMER: You point out the statistic. We can put it on our screen for our viewers to see it: 25 percent of traffic deaths last year, 2002, occurred in rollover crashes. In addition to that, same year, rollovers involving SUVs, almost 10 percent from the previous year. And there's another amazing statistic out there. Do you believe truly that if you wear your seatbelt when riding or driving an SUV, the death rate could be cut by 80 percent?

RUNGE: Well, seatbelts are 80 percent effective in protecting you from death in a rollover. And that means that you cut your risk by that much. Because of the proliferation on these vehicles on our nation's highways, higher center of gravity vehicles that are likely to rollover, makes it absolutely imperative that people wear their safety belts.

HEMMER: Why don't you think people are getting the message out there about this?

RUNGE: I think the message is very well out there. As a matter of fact, 75 percent of Americans do buckle their safety belts. The mortality problem really comes largely from that group of people that does not yet do that. Obviously, there are some crashes in which your safety belt will not protect you, but your odds are double of survival if you have your safety belt fastened.

HEMMER: And the drinking and driving statistic is something we're shaking our heads about again. I think it goes back to the message, again, the point is, and the question is, again, why, after so many years trying to pound this into people's heads about the dangers of doing it, why the numbers you see are going up yet again.

RUNGE: There is a limit to what public education can accomplish. In fact, the gains that were made in the '80s and early '90s were made by people who were willingly modify their behavior and take personal responsibility for their actions. The segment of people that we're seeing now that are involved in most of the impaired driving deaths have a much worse time with alcohol. They have alcohol problems, they need treatment, they need intervention, they need to get into the system, and the best way to do that is through scientifically based laws and strict enforcement of those laws.

HEMMER: In the meantime, wear your seat belt and watch your speed.

RUNGE: Absolutely.

HEMMER: Thank you, doctor, Jeffrey Runge, head of the NHTSA, as we call it, the short acronym here in D.C..

RUNGE: Thanks a lot.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com