AAA wants to take money away from hiking and biking trails?

Just how lame is that? Apparently, AAA is fully into the United States doing what they’ve always done and somehow expecting different results - more cars, more greenhouse gases, more money going into Saudi bank accounts - rather than looking at our national, state and local transportation problems in a more holistic way, based in current reality.

The following is from the Rails-To-Trails Conservency:

The American Automobile Association (AAA) recently advocated for the elimination of critical, established programs that fund trails, walking and bicycling from the trust fund that finances transportation. AAA says it supports all types of transportation, but that doesn’t square with the above position, which would divert money away from walking and bicycling and toward the highway system.

We know that:

… if given the choice, Americans would allocate 22 percent of transportation funds to develop and improve bicycling and walking facilities—much, much more than is currently being funded.

… drivers can be bicyclists, too—Americans sometimes drive and other times bicycle or walk to reach destinations based on which is most convenient, pleasant, healthy or affordable for a given trip.

… bicyclists also drive—they pay their fair share of taxes to support all transportation modes.

… cyclists don’t only use trails and bike lanes for pleasure trips—they also use them as healthy commuting options and safe routes to school for their children.

… when more people choose trails and bike lanes for travel, the roads are less congested and create a better transportation experience for all.

The president of AAA Mid-Atlantic recently advocated for the elimination of existing federal programs that help build bicycle and pedestrian trails and sidewalks from the trust fund that finances transportation. These funds have helped create more than 19,000 miles of trails, walking and bicycling facilities across the country—likely including your favorite nearby trail.

Tell the AAA that we value trails today!AAA encourages its members to get outdoors and explore the country—including by bicycle—so why do they support cutting programs that help their members do precisely that?

On September 1, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy President Keith Laughlin sent a letter asking this question to AAA. Robert Darbelnet, president and CEO of AAA, was quick to respond yet he did not address our central concern.

AAA Mid-Atlantic suggests that an $89 billion annual highway fund shortfall can be blamed on investments in walking and bicycling. But those investments total less than $1 billion annually and produce tremendous benefits for everyone, including drivers.

The reality is that many bicyclists drive, support AAA, pay gas taxes and want balanced transportation systems that provide the choice to get around in a variety of ways—for commuting or daily errands, or for fun and exercise.

If AAA’s false ideas take root, America’s transportation future—one where communities are more livable and people have safe and convenient choices for getting around—is in jeopardy.

Help us show AAA that trail, walking and bicycling programs actually benefit everyone, very much including their own members!

Tell the AAA that transportation is about more than autos on highways

You're a better driver than the other guy, right?

In one of George Carlins’ better bits he said: “the guy in front you is is a moron and the guy in back is a maniac”.

Doesn’t that seem true? We all think we are the smart driver, the cautious driver - and it’s the ‘other guy’ who is distracted or just plain stupid.

In this interesting article by AAA on safety culture, the numbers belie our deeply held beliefs, once again.

Do as I say, not as I do …

American motorists blame other motorists for unsafe driving, despite the fact many admit to doing the same dangerous practices themselves, according to a new report out today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. For example, Americans rated drinking drivers as the most serious traffic safety issue, yet in the previous month alone, almost 10 percent of motorists admitted to driving when they thought their blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.

“Where’s the outrage? Every 13 minutes, someone dies on America’s roads - yet the nation seems complacent about these preventable tragedies,” said AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety CEO Peter Kissinger. “The 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index makes clear that while motorists are quick to blame the ‘other guy’ for deadly practices like drunk, aggressive or distracted driving, too often those pointing the finger are themselves, part of the problem. When almost 10 percent of motorists admit to recently driving after drinking too much alcohol, the problem is much worse than people think. We need a big red flag to focus all stakeholders on real solutions for highway safety. Instead, we seem to be waving the white flag of surrender by largely accepting the carnage of forty thousand deaths on the road each year.”

Traffic crashes are the leading killer of people from the ages of 2 to 34, with the overall death toll on U.S. roadways consistently exceeding 40,000 every single year since the early 1960s with the sole exception of 1992. With this in mind, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety launched its first-annual survey of the driving public on a wide variety of issues. Following are highlights from the report, 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index:

• Three out of four of motorists believed that they are more careful than others behind the wheel.

• 82 percent of motorists rated distracted driving as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to talking on the cell phone while driving in the past month, and 14 percent even admitted to reading or sending text messages while driving.

Over seven out of ten motorists rated red light running as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to speeding up to get through yellow lights, and 5 percent even admitted to having run a red light on purpose in the past month.

 • Nearly three out of every four motorists rated speeding as a serious problem, yet 40 percent of those same individuals admitted to driving 15 mph or more over speed limit on the highway in the past month, and 14 percent even admitted to having driven 15 mph or more over the limit on a neighborhood street.

In addition to documenting the difference between what drivers say and what they actually do behind the wheel, the 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index also revealed:

• Nearly one of every four people interviewed reported having been injured in a crash at some point in their lives, and nearly one in three reported having had a close friend or relative permanently disabled or killed in a crash.

• Americans have virtually no idea how many people die annually in crashes. Over one in four Americans guessed that 10,000 or fewer people died annually in crashes, 14 percent guessed that the number was over 100,000, and another one in four wouldn’t even venture a guess. All told, only one in three Americans said somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 people die annually in motor vehicle crashes in the U. S.

 “All of us should work to build a better traffic safety culture, where more than 40,000 deaths annually is NOT considered acceptable, where in conjunction with tougher laws, safer cars and better engineering, individuals take responsibility for their own driving instead of blaming the other guy,” said Kissinger.  “Known counter-measures could be put into practice today to cut the death toll on American’s roads in half.

Buckle up, pass the keys to a sober driver, put down the cell phone or sandwich, slow down to legal speeds, be courteous and stay alert - it’s not rocket science, it’s common sense. As we pressure regulators, lawmakers, law enforcement officials, highway engineers and automakers to do even more to make driving safer - individual motorists - all of us - must also shoulder the responsibility and police ourselves to be safer, smarter drivers. Without such a commitment, highway deaths will continue at epidemic proportions and nothing will change.”