PRINTER'S NO. 1883
No. 213 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY VANCE, EGOLF, WATSON, NAILOR, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG,
M. BAKER, BARD, BARLEY, BARRAR, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI,
BENNINGHOFF, BLAUM, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPABIANCA, CAPPELLI,
CLARK, CLYMER, L. I. COHEN, COLEMAN, CORRIGAN, COSTA, COY,
CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY, DALLY, DeLUCA, DERMODY, DONATUCCI,
FEESE, FICHTER, FLICK, FORCIER, FRANKEL, GABIG, GEIST,
GORDNER, GRUCELA, HARHART, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS,
HORSEY, JAMES, KENNEY, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LESCOVITZ, LEWIS,
MACKERETH, MAJOR, MANDERINO, MARSICO, McILHATTAN, McNAUGHTON,
MELIO, R. MILLER, S. MILLER, MUNDY, PALLONE, PETRARCA,
PICKETT, PIPPY, PISTELLA, PRESTON, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAMUELSON, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SHANER,
B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STERN, STURLA, E. Z. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, WASHINGTON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI,
WRIGHT, YOUNGBLOOD, ZUG AND MICOZZIE, MAY 8, 2001
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 8, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of May 13 through 19, 2001, as
2 "Pennsylvania MADD Week."
3 WHEREAS, In 1999, 15,786 alcohol-related fatalities occurred,
4 representing 38% of total traffic fatalities for that year; and
5 WHEREAS, The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is
6 more than three times as high at night as during the day, and
7 for all crashes the alcohol involvement rate is more than five
8 times as high at night; and
9 WHEREAS, Of fatal crashes occurring between midnight and 3
10 a.m., 76% involved alcohol; and
11 WHEREAS, In 1999, 29% of all fatal crashes during the week
1 were alcohol-related, compared to 51% on weekends, and for all
2 crashes the alcohol involvement rate was 5% during the week and
3 13% during the weekend; and
4 WHEREAS, Intoxication rates for vehicle operators involved in
5 fatal crashes in 1999 were highest for motorcycles (28%),
6 followed by light trucks (20%), passenger cars (17%) and large
7 trucks (1%); and
8 WHEREAS, An estimated 308,000 persons were injured in crashes
9 where police reported that alcohol was present; and
10 WHEREAS, In 1999, 30% of all traffic fatalities occurred in
11 crashes in which at least one driver or nonoccupant had a blood
12 alcohol concentration of 0.10 or greater, and 70% of the 12,321
13 people killed in those crashes were intoxicated; and
14 WHEREAS, The 15,786 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes
15 during 1999 represent an average of one alcohol-related fatality
16 every 33 minutes; and
17 WHEREAS, All states and the District of Columbia now have
18 minimum drinking age laws; and
19 WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
20 estimates that minimum drinking age laws have reduced traffic
21 fatalities involving drivers 18 to 20 years of age by 13% and
22 have saved an estimated 19,121 lives since 1975; and
23 WHEREAS, In 1999 an estimated 901 lives were saved by minimum
24 drinking age laws; and
25 WHEREAS, The highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes were
26 recorded for drivers 21 to 24 years of age (27%), followed by
27 drivers 25 to 34 years of age (24%) and drivers 35 to 44 years
28 of age (21%); and
29 WHEREAS, In 1999, 21% of the children under 15 years of age
30 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes were killed in alcohol-
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1 related crashes; and
2 WHEREAS, In 1999 there was an estimated total of 1,511,300
3 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol; and
4 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania in 1999 had 605 alcohol-related
5 fatalities; therefore be it
6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
7 week of May 13 through 19, 2001, as "Pennsylvania MADD Week" in
8 recognition of the efforts of Mothers Against Drunk Driving to
9 bring these statistics to the attention of Pennsylvanians and to
10 attempt to reduce the number of drunk-driving traffic accidents
11 and deaths in this Commonwealth and our nation.
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