04/07/2005 01:30 PM House TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB63 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| = | SB 63 | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 7, 2005
1:39 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jim Elkins, Co-Chair
Representative Carl Gatto, Co-Chair
Representative Vic Kohring
Representative Bill Thomas
Representative Mary Kapsner
Representative Woodie Salmon
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Mark Neuman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 63
"An Act relating to road signs encouraging the use of safety
belts."
- MOVED SB 63 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 63
SHORT TITLE: USE SEAT BELT ROAD SIGNS
SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) STEVENS B
01/19/05 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/05 (S) TRA, FIN
02/03/05 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/03/05 (S) <Bill Hearing Postponed to 02/08/05>
02/08/05 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
02/08/05 (S) Moved CSSB 63(TRA) Out of Committee
02/08/05 (S) MINUTE(TRA)
02/09/05 (S) TRA RPT CS 5DP
SAME TITLE
02/09/05 (S) DP: HUGGINS, FRENCH, KOOKESH,
THERRIAULT, COWDERY
03/07/05 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
03/07/05 (S) Scheduled But Not Heard
03/09/05 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
03/09/05 (S) Heard & Held
03/09/05 (S) MINUTE(FIN)
03/14/05 (S) FIN RPT 4DP
03/14/05 (S) DP: WILKEN, OLSON, DYSON, STEDMAN
03/14/05 (S) FIN AT 9:30 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
03/14/05 (S) Moved SB 63 Out of Committee
03/14/05 (S) MINUTE(FIN)
03/18/05 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
03/18/05 (S) VERSION: SB 63
03/21/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/21/05 (H) TRA, FIN
04/07/05 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
WITNESS REGISTER
CHERYL SUTTON, Staff
to Senator Ben Stevens
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SB 63 on behalf of Senator Ben
Stevens, Sponsor.
MARK NEIDHOLD, Chief
Design and Construction Standards
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 63.
Tiara Wall, Student
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 63.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CO-CHAIR CARL GATTO called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:39:45 PM. Representatives
Gatto, Elkins, Kohring, Salmon, and Thomas were present at the
call to order. Representative Kapsner arrived as the meeting
was in progress.
SB 63-USE SEAT BELT ROAD SIGNS
CO-CHAIR GATTO announced that the only order of business would
be SENATE BILL NO. 63 "An Act relating to road signs
encouraging the use of safety belts."
CHERYL SUTTON, Staff to Senator Ben Stevens, Alaska State
Legislature, said SB 63 is simple but meaningful. It encourages
the posting of memorial signs promoting the use of seatbelts.
Under the Highway Fatality Memorial Sign Program, there is no
provision for a seatbelt sign, just "Please drive safely" and
"Please don't drink and drive." She said SB 63 adds a "Buckle
up for safety" sign. Over 55 percent of highway fatalities in
Alaska may have been prevented by wearing seatbelts, she noted.
The bill allows the loved ones of those killed in traffic
accidents while not wearing a seatbelt to request a memorial
sign encouraging other drivers to buckle up, she said.
1:41:42 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked how it can be known if a seatbelt would
have prevented the fatality.
MS. SUTTON said there are statistics. Senator Ben Stevens has a
constituent who lost a son in such a way. A passenger walked
away from that accident simply because she was wearing a
seatbelt. The department keeps data on fatalities.
CO-CHAIR GATTO repeated his question.
MS. SUTTON said investigators make that determination.
1:44:24 PM
MARK NEIDHOLD, Chief, Design and Construction Standards,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT), said DOT
would operate under the premise that if occupants are properly
restrained, they have a very good chance of surviving accidents.
He said DOT will read the application and accident data, and if
there is a fatality and no seatbelt, it would meet the standard.
1:47:09 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked if DOT would need an application before
erecting a sign.
MR. NEIDHOLD said DOT has not yet written regulations, but it
would likely follow existing memorial sign regulations, which
require a requester to put in an application.
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked about the existing memorial sign program.
MR. NEIDHOLD said that program allows a loved one to apply for a
memorial sign that says either "Please drive safely" or "Please
don't drink and drive." The department reviews the location to
make sure it is a safe place to put it, and erects the sign,
maintaining it for ten years. The cost is about $500 per sign.
The sign has a placard with the sponsor's or the victim's name.
1:49:59 PM
CO-CHAIR ELKINS asked how DOT would handle it if 20 people died
on one corner.
MR. NEIDHOLD said the department would probably put up one sign
with multiple placards.
CO-CHAIR ELKINS said the placard is 30 inches long.
MR. NEIDHOLD said it sounds big but at 12 feet off the pavement,
it is comparatively small.
CO-CHAIR ELKINS asked if the signs are distracting.
1:51:54 PM
MR. NEIDHOLD said proliferation of signs is a concern of the
department, and that is why it supports SB 63. It has very
little control over non-DOT memorials, and this gives DOT
placement oversight and decision powers. It gives DOT a
mechanism to control what goes up, making sure signs are crash-
worthy and safely located.
1:53:43 PM
CO-CHAIR ELKINS said it is commendable that DOT wants to take
the heat on dealing with this issue.
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS asked about the effective date and how
long ago could the accident have occurred.
1:55:45 PM
MR. NEIDHOLD said the sign can exist for ten years.
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked about retroactivity.
1:56:14 PM
MS. SUTTON said the legislation is not meant to be retroactive.
Memorial signs are already available with different wording.
MR. NEIDHOLD said current regulations do not set an application
time limit. If DOT were flooded with requests, it would push
for a regulation change. He said DOT has not seen that problem.
1:57:59 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked if ten years is too long to have a sign up,
and then noted that DOT can change the length of time a sign is
up without direction from legislature.
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS asked about monuments of rocks.
1:59:34 PM
MR. NEIDHOLD said DOT looks at monuments from a traffic safety
viewpoint, and a pile of rocks puts others at risks because it
is not crash proof or may be distracting. This legislation
encourages family members to do the right kind of sign and DOT
pays for it, he said.
2:01:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KAPSNER asked about families contributing to the
costs.
MS. SUTTON said DOT made a decision not to charge the sign
sponsor; it is a public service. Senator Stevens' constituents
were willing to pay for a sign, but it was not an option.
2:03:42 PM
TIARA WALL, 12-year-old student, Juneau, said SB 63 is a good
idea to remind drivers to buckle up, and knowing a fatality
occurred gives them more incentive. She said in 2003 about 6.32
million crashes occurred and about 63 percent of people were not
wearing seatbelts. She noted that if just 90 percent of
Americans buckled up, there would be 5,500 fewer deaths and
132,000 fewer injuries. Everyone ends up paying for the
accidents through increased taxes, health care, and insurance
costs. Signs remind people about the risks, she declared.
"Imagine how much pain and misery we could solve," she said.
Seat belts provide effective safety in cars, saving 9,500 lives
a year. She concluded that SB 63 is a really good idea.
2:07:05 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked Ms. Wall if she has been in an accident.
MS. WALL said no, but her family was backed into.
CO-CHAIR GATTO said he was suggesting changing the language to
say DOT can erect a sign "at or near" the site of an accident,
instead of "at" the site.
MS. SUTTON said DOT already has that discretion.
2:10:53 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO said words are really important and asked DOT if
it is restricted by that specific language.
MR. NEIDHOLD said he would defer to the attorney general.
CO-CHAIR GATTO said DOT can simply define the site as larger, so
he can live with the current language.
2:13:16 PM
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked about people attaching flowers to signs.
MR. NEIDHOLD said the department doesn't notice that.
2:14:11 PM
CO-CHAIR ELKINS moved to report SB 63 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, SB 63 moved from the House
Transportation Standing Committee.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:15
p.m. 2:15:01 PM
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