All Counties, Cities Have

All Counties, Cities Have

| Safety Commission

[ John T. Hanna, Director of the ! Virginia Highway Safety Division, announced today that each of the 96 counties and 38 cities directed by the 1968 General Assembly to form local highway safety commissions had done so and that 124 had filed through his division to the Governor, as also directed by the General Assembly, a program of highway safety within the particular political sub-division.

These reports, Mr. Hanna said, are subject to the Governor’s approval in determining eligibility for matching federal funds to be used in highway safety projects.

The commissions, usually consisting of from five to 9 members, have representation from private citizens, medical doctors, attorneys, law enforcement officials, educators, engineers, ministers, judges and local officials. Forty-one ladies are serving, and one commission, that of Nottoway County, has two teenagers.

Programs intended to inaugurate new activities or to upgrade existing ones covered driver education, including that for adults and for high school dropouts; upgrading highways through new design, construction and control; additional training for law enforcement personnel, improving emergency medical services; identification and surveillance of crash prone locations, and more effective use of public information media. Mr. Hanna concluded that the enthusiastic response of the commissions indicates strongly that their work can reduce crashes, provide invaluable sources of useful information and assistance to the State and assist in recommending legislative action.

At the same time, Mr. Hanna announced on April 23 meeting in Richmond of the Highway Safety Advisory Committee formed by the 1968 General Assembly and consisting of all commission chairmen and such other representatives as the Governor may appoint.