Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 22–Committee
on Transportation

 

May 6, 2003

____________

 

Read and Adopted

 

SUMMARY—Commends Highway Watch program and planned participation of Nevada Motor Transport Association. (BDR R‑1169)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Assembly Concurrent RESOLUTION—Commending the Highway Watch program and the planned participation of the Nevada Motor Transport Association in this nationwide effort to improve the safety and security of America’s highways.

 

1-1  Whereas, Trucking is a large and diverse industry with more

1-2  than 3 million drivers who are a potential army of eyes and ears to

1-3  monitor for security threats and highway dangers; and

1-4  Whereas, There has been a sharp increase in traffic congestion,

1-5  crime and road rage that make our nation’s highways more

1-6  treacherous and make providing assistance to those in need more

1-7  challenging than ever before in our history; and

1-8  Whereas, There are more than 83,000 wireless calls from

1-9  motorists to emergency centers each day, but many callers do not

1-10  know their location, particularly at night or during the emotional

1-11  strain of an emergency situation, and there are more than 41,000

1-12  traffic fatalities each year with approximately half of these deaths

1-13  occurring before victims reach medical care facilities; and

1-14      Whereas, Highway Watch, which began in Colorado in

1-15  November 1998, strives to reduce the number of highway accidents,

1-16  serious injuries and deaths through the identification of unsafe

1-17  drivers, drunken driving, poor road or weather conditions, poor

1-18  highway or construction zone signage, and motorists displaying road

1-19  rage; and

 

 

2-1  Whereas, Highway Watch is a volunteer effort of dedicated

2-2  professional truck drivers who are committed to guarding the

2-3  welfare of the motoring public and strengthening the security of the

2-4  United States in these uncertain times; and

2-5  Whereas, Through the Highway Watch program, an elite group

2-6  of professional truck drivers are specially trained to use their

2-7  wireless location and communication technology to report accidents,

2-8  breakdowns, hazardous conditions and other highway dangers to an

2-9  operator who takes the report from the driver and contacts the

2-10  proper authorities as determined by each individual state; and

2-11      Whereas, The American Trucking Associations, in partnership

2-12  with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of the United

2-13  States Department of Transportation, administers Highway Watch

2-14  by providing grant money to participating states; and

2-15      Whereas, The American Trucking Associations reports that

2-16  Highway Watch is formed through a network of partnerships,

2-17  including the trucking industry, law enforcement agencies, and state

2-18  and federal departments of transportation; and

2-19      Whereas, The state trucking associations are the heart of the

2-20  Highway Watch program which is currently operating in Alabama,

2-21  Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland,

2-22  Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma,

2-23  Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West

2-24  Virginia and Wisconsin; and

2-25      Whereas, The Nevada Motor Transport Association is willing

2-26  to operate the Highway Watch program within this state and

2-27  establish the basic operational procedures of the program

2-28  concerning, without limitation, driver qualification, training format,

2-29  frequency of training sessions, and recruitment of drivers and safety

2-30  directors; now, therefore, be it

2-31      Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the

2-32  Senate Concurring, That the American Trucking Associations

2-33  and the dedicated professional truck drivers participating in

2-34  Highway Watch are hereby commended for their efforts to improve

2-35  today’s travel environment and to increase the safety and security of

2-36  the nation’s highways; and be it further

2-37      Resolved, That the Nevada Motor Transport Association is

2-38  hereby commended for its commitment to take on the responsibility

2-39  of coordinating and administering the Highway Watch program in

2-40  our state; and be it further

2-41      Resolved, That, once it is implemented in Nevada, Highway

2-42  Watch will make a significant contribution to highway safety and

2-43  will aid the national effort to monitor potential security concerns;

2-44  and be it further

3-1  Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and

3-2  transmit a copy of this resolution to Daryl E. Capurro, Managing

3-3  Director of the Nevada Motor Transport Association.

 

3-4  H