Joel Feldman and Dianne Anderson Recognized at Launching of the Decade of Action for Road Safety in Washington, D.C.

Casey’s father, Joel Feldman and the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Chariman, Make Roads Safe North America, and U.S. Member, Commission for Global Road Safety

Dianne Anderson & Joel Feldman with Grover

Phi Sigma Pi brothers Jessica Barr and Phil Knakiak, Casey’s mother, Dianne Anderson, NOYS official, Sandy Spavone and Joe Toole, Associate Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Safety

Phil Knasiak and Jess Barr at the afternoon Safety Expo

The United Nations, in cooperation with many countries across the world, launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety on May 11, 2011. It is a 10 year plan to reduce highway deaths by 5 million and injuries from highway accidents by 50 million worldwide.

The focus of the activities in the United States was in Washington, D.C., where highway safety professionals, legislators , business leaders and individuals met to unveil the coordinated efforts to stem the rising tide of highway death and injuries. Those efforts will include legislation, education, engineering to make highways safer and targeted behavioral changes.  Highway crashes are now recognized as an international public health threat, similar to diseases, which requires a multi-faceted approach to save millions of lives. Norman Mineta, former United States Secretary of Transportation and Chairman of Make Roads Safe North America, Thomas Frieden, M.D., Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, John L. Mica, US. House of Representatives, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and David Strickland, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were among those who spoke at the day’s events.

Family members of those who have been killed in highway accidents were recognized for their efforts to promote highway safety, including Casey’s parents, Joel Feldman and  Dianne Anderson  Casey’s story is part of a public service video the Feldman family created and produced for the U.S. Dept of Transportation and which is featured on its website “Faces of Distracted Driving.” The 3 minute video can be viewed  here.

The program was coordinated by NOYS (National Organization for Youth Safety) and NOYS student leaders from across the country were featured in presentations. New data was revealed  indicating that from May through September, teens are twice as likely to die in the US from traffic accidents than in any other months. Three new public service videos focused on traffic safety  starring Sesame Street’s Grover were screened.   The official road safety symbol of the campaign-the yellow tag- was revealed and displayed simultaneously in cities across the US and the world.  For more information visit decadeofaction.org.

Phi Sigma Pi brothers, Phil Knasiak and Jessica Barr joined the Feldmans at the day’s activities and presented a check  to NOYS representing the proceeds raised at this year’s benefit concert in April. Read the article on the Foundation News and Updates blog. View additional photos from the day’s events here.

Related Posts and Links:

– NOYS Youth Turn YouTube video featuring Casey’s friends talking about the loss of Casey and turning adversity into something positive

–  Phi Sigma Pi Delivers Check to NOYS at the Launching of the Decade of Action for Road Safety in D.C.

– Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation to Sponsor NOYS