Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings Named Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety
Congressional Desk
June 06, 2010
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., was named as a co-chairman of the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety.
"Road fatalities are the leading cause of death for Americans traveling abroad," said Rep. Hastings. "I am pleased to offer my experience and leadership to address this extremely critical issue."
"With his long history of improving highway safety in this country and extensive international experience, Rep. Hastings understands our mission and what it takes to improve road safety worldwide," said Rochelle Sobel, who founded the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) in 1995 after the death of her son Aron and 22 passengers in a bus crash in Turkey.
In 2004, ASIRT was instrumental in establishing the Caucus on Global Road Safety. The 22-member caucus is also co-chaired by Reps. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Dan Burton, R-Ind.
"ASIRT serves to make Congress and the executive branch more aware of road safety as a global issue and inform American travelers of the risks of road travel abroad," Sobel added.
In January, ASIRT received funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies to strengthen and establish non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya, Turkey and Egypt with the goal of raising awareness of road safety issues and implementing road safety interventions in these countries. ASIRT will also work with the other Bloomberg partners to improve road safety in seven other countries within the next few years.
Hastings replaces Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., who resigned from the House of Representatives in January to lead the Center for the Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, a think-tank based in Washington, DC.
Maryland-based ASIRT is dedicated to improving global road safety through advocacy and education. ASIRT informs travelers about existing conditions and supports local sustainable road safety partnerships in many countries to reduce deaths and injuries resulting from road travel. For more information, visit www.asirt.org.
"Road fatalities are the leading cause of death for Americans traveling abroad," said Rep. Hastings. "I am pleased to offer my experience and leadership to address this extremely critical issue."
"With his long history of improving highway safety in this country and extensive international experience, Rep. Hastings understands our mission and what it takes to improve road safety worldwide," said Rochelle Sobel, who founded the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) in 1995 after the death of her son Aron and 22 passengers in a bus crash in Turkey.
In 2004, ASIRT was instrumental in establishing the Caucus on Global Road Safety. The 22-member caucus is also co-chaired by Reps. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Dan Burton, R-Ind.
"ASIRT serves to make Congress and the executive branch more aware of road safety as a global issue and inform American travelers of the risks of road travel abroad," Sobel added.
In January, ASIRT received funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies to strengthen and establish non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya, Turkey and Egypt with the goal of raising awareness of road safety issues and implementing road safety interventions in these countries. ASIRT will also work with the other Bloomberg partners to improve road safety in seven other countries within the next few years.
Hastings replaces Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., who resigned from the House of Representatives in January to lead the Center for the Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, a think-tank based in Washington, DC.
Maryland-based ASIRT is dedicated to improving global road safety through advocacy and education. ASIRT informs travelers about existing conditions and supports local sustainable road safety partnerships in many countries to reduce deaths and injuries resulting from road travel. For more information, visit www.asirt.org.