Auto Club & CHP Urge Motorists to Slow Down on World Health Day

LOS ANGELES--April 5, 2004--Excessive Speed Causes Dramatic Jump in Highway Crashes, Deaths & Injuries In The Last 3 Years

WHO:     The Automobile Club of Southern California and the California
         Highway Patrol join with the World Health Organization (WHO) 
         to urge motorists to increase safety on the roadway by 
         driving within the posted speed limit.

WHAT:    The WHO has chosen Road Safety as its theme for World Health
         Day on April 7. The Auto Club and CHP hold a press conference
         to release new data indicating a dramatic jump in highway 
         crashes, deaths and injuries since 2001 due to excessive 
         speed.

WHEN:    Wednesday, April 7, 2004 at 10 a.m.

WHERE:   On the abandoned freeway on-ramp to the northbound 110
         Harbor Freeway, one-half block north of the intersection of 
         West Adams Boulevard and Flower Street. Look for the Auto 
         Club tow truck and CHP cruiser on Flower.

WHY:     Motor vehicle crashes are one of the top 10 causes of deaths
         in both the United States and the world, according to recent 
         Center for Disease Control and WHO data. In 2002, highway 
         crashes killed nearly 43,000 people in the United States and 
         1.2 million people worldwide.

NOTE TO ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: The press conference location puts news 
         cameras almost on the Harbor freeway while keeping reporters 
         and photographers safe. Visuals include CHP radar guns, CHP 
         Special Enforcement Unit to give one month update on 
         intensive speed enforcement effort and Auto Club speedometer 
         check (reporters may have their speedometers checked for 
         accuracy).