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Patrol Receives Distinguished Service Award
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award (DSA) for Highway Safety was presented to the Missouri State Highway Patrol on August 26, 2008, during AAMVA’s Annual International Conference in Orlando, Florida. The award recognizes both an individual and an agency whose primary function is highway and traffic safety, and who has made a significant impact to improve highway safety and the reduction of fatalities. As stated in AAMVA’s release, the “MSHP patrols over 33,000 miles of roadway. In 2006, the MSHP reported a 13 percent decrease in traffic deaths. With an increased emphasis on highway safety enforcement, MSHP has seen an additional nine percent reduction in fatalities in the last reporting year.”
The award description reads as follows:
2008 Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award for Highway Safety
The AAMVA Distinguished Service Award for Highway Safety was created in 2001. Following the first presentation of this award, the AAMVA Board of Directors changed the name to the Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award for Highway Safety in recognition of former AAMVA Chair, Martha Irwin, and her focus on highway safety.
This year, the AAMVA Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award for Highway Safety recognizes an individual and an agency:
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Whose primary function is highway and traffic safety, and
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Who has made a significant impact to improve highway safety and the reduction of fatalities.
The selection committee for this award is made up of nationwide law enforcement, motor vehicle administrators, highway safety partners and past winners of the award.
This year’s agency award patrols over 33,000 miles of roadway. In 2006, this agency led the nation when it experienced a 13 percent decrease in traffic deaths, thus winning the AAMVA Highway Safety Award for this category. In the last reporting year, this agency participated in an increased emphasis on highway safety enforcement marking an additional nine percent reduction in fatalities.
Last year the Patrol kicked off a new traffic safety initiative that focuses not only on reducing serious crashes and fatalities, but encouraging the citizens of the state to become vested partners in the highway safety effort.
The patrol has created a marketing and education plan that includes “Help Wanted” bumper stickers, billboard, information fliers and other promotion materials. The educational campaign solicits input from all the citizens of the state to encourage others to help.
This year’s Martha Irwin Highway Safety Award winner has recently recognized a sizable increase in seat belt usage. Statistics show a significant downward trend in serious crashes, alcohol related crashes and speed related crashes.
NHTSA statistics indicate that if everyone in the country wore their seat belts, we could cut our highway fatality rate in half instantly. Non-compliance of the seatbelt and child restraint laws have long been a focus of this Highway Patrol. A zero tolerance policy on seat belt violations recorded over 59,000 seat belt citations this past year.
The Awards committee noted other successful programs that made it an easy choice for this year’s winner including:
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A new cooperative effort between the Patrol and the state DMV regarding driver testing programs;
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A new information system to improve older driver systems;
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An improved vehicle inspection program that decreases the number of crashes related to vehicle impairments
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An increased number of school bus inspections
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A 30% increase in the number of alcohol related driving citations.
It is worth noting that the person that nominated this year’s winner was the head of the state driver’s license bureau who recognized the value of the partnership between DMVs and law enforcement.
This year’s agency winner of the Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award for Highway Safety is the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
