Each State to Receive Report on Deadly Gaps in Its Highway Safety Laws As States Convene 2004 Legislative Sessions

        Advocates to Urge States to Enact 16 Essential Seat Belt,
       Child Restraint, Teen Driving, Drunk Driving and Motorcycle
             Helmet Laws to Curb Rise in U.S. Traffic Deaths

  WHAT:    NEWS CONFERENCE -- With U.S. traffic deaths hitting a 10-year
           high and state legislatures about to convene their 2004 sessions,
           Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) will hold a
           news conference to unveil its first ever "Roadmap to State
           Highway Safety Laws: A Report on States in the Passing Lane, in
           the Slow Lane and Stopped on the Shoulder" -- a "call-to-action"
           to Governors and state legislators to fill in deadly gaps in
           their state's road safety laws.

           The new report will show where the 50 states and DC "pass or
           fail" on 16 essential highway safety laws, and will highlight
           "the best and worst" states in the categories of adult occupant
           protection, child passenger safety, teen driving and impaired
           driving.  The report will include a section summarizing the
           number of people killed in highway crashes in each state in 2002,
           the most recent economic costs figures for that state and which
           of the 16 essential highway safety laws each state has or does
           not have.

  WHEN:    THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. ET

  WHERE:   National Press Club (East Room), 529 14th Street, NW, 13th Floor,
           Washington, DC

  WHO:     * Judith Lee Stone, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto
             Safety

           * Jacqueline Gillan, Vice President, Advocates for Highway and
             Safety

           Advocates is a unique alliance of insurance companies and
           consumer, health, safety and law enforcement organizations that
           work together to advance state and national highway and vehicle
           safety policy.

  WHY:     The report, which will be available on Advocates' web site
           (www.saferoads.org) starting Thursday morning, will detail many
           deadly gaps in state highway safety laws that are contributing to
           the rising tide of traffic deaths and injuries.  In 2002 alone,
           42,815 people were killed and 3 million others injured in highway
           crashes -- the highest level in a decade.

           Motor vehicle crashes cost U.S. taxpayers and the economy $230
           billion annually.  At a time when most Governors and state
           legislatures are facing deficits and tough budget choices,
           enacting laws to highway death and injury toll will save lives
           and save dollars.

PRNewswire -- Jan. 7