National Safety Council Says Be Carefull Out There

National Safety Council Applauds Bush Administration*s Airline Security Efforts
Council Says Restored Confidence in Air Travel Is Critical for Public Safety

ITASCA, Il - Alan C. McMillan, President and CEO of the National Safety Council (NSC), today expressed the Council*s *unequivocal support* for President Bush*s plans to enhance aviation safety and security.
	
McMillan said the steps announced yesterday by the President at Chicago*s O*Hare Airport *are exactly what the nation needs to restore confidence in air travel and get our transportation system back to normal.  Getting travelers back in the air is vital for the nation*s safety as well as for the economy.*

At O*Hare, President Bush announced an expansion of the Air Marshal program, steps to improve cockpit security aboard passenger aircraft, and improvements in airport security and screening services.
	
McMillan said it is critically important that Americans be aware of the risks they face by switching from air to motor vehicle travel, as many have done in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist hijacking attacks on New York and Washington. 
	
*At a time when Americans are struggling to return to their business and leisure activities, a widespread movement toward motor vehicle travel would put the nation at greater risk of increased injury and death on the highways,* McMillan said. *Based on passenger-miles traveled over the period 1995 through 1999, and depending on the length and type of trip, the risk of death from driving is up to 37 times greater than from flying.*

The difference in risk of passenger death between air and highway travel is due to many factors, including differences in the skill and training of pilots compared to drivers and constant monitoring and control of air traffic compared to virtually unmonitored highway traffic.  McMillan noted that those who do drive can take common-sense steps to enhance their safety while on the highway - such as insisting that all passengers use seat belts and child safety seats, and never getting behind the wheel after drinking.
	
McMillan said the NSC will work with the Federal Aviation Administration and the airline and travel industries and others to communicate with the public about the risks of driving vs. flying.
	
 *The airline industry and the government are to be commended for making significant improvements in aviation safety,* McMillan said. *The National Safety
Council will work with employers, government agencies and communities across the nation to spread the message that the safest form of travel is, and will continue to be, air travel.*
	
The National Safety Council is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental, international public service organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. NSC*s 37,500-plus member locations include businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. Founded in 1913, NSC's scope has expanded to include highway, community and recreational safety, as well as occupational and environmental health. The NSC estimates that 4.2 million lives have been saved through improved safety practices since the Council was established.