Auto Club Honors CHP on Agency's 75th Birthday; Both Organizations Share Traffic Safety Goal

LOS ANGELES--Aug. 12, 2004--The Automobile Club of Southern California salutes the California Highway Patrol on the CHP's 75th birthday, Aug. 1, 20044, 2004, with a celebration at the Irwindale Speedway.

Saturday's recognition of the CHP includes officers serving as color guard, CHP cruisers as honorary pace cars and Southern Division Chief Mike Brown waving the green flag to start the feature 50-lap Auto Club Late Models race.

"The CHP and the Auto Club have had a partnership since the agency first began," said Carol Thorp, spokesperson for the Auto Club. "Both organizations share the goal of keeping motorists safe on the road."

The Auto Club's roadside assistance to stranded motorists began as the Highway Patrol Service in 1924. A fleet of trucks and specially trained drivers provided mechanical repair and first aid to motorists in need. Highway Patrol Service drivers also repaired street signs, swept up broken glass and assisted with recovery efforts following disasters such as the St. Francis Dam collapse in 1928.

In the early days of motoring, traffic laws were unevenly enforced and varied from town to town. Motorists could be given citations for speeds or maneuvers that were legal in the next town. Some municipalities used traffic citations as way to fill city coffers rather than to improve public safety. Responding to a growing chorus of complaints and recommendations by the Auto Club and others, the Legislature created the California Highway Patrol, in part, to stop that practice. Today, revenue from CHP citations is distributed to the city where the citation is written.

Through the years, the Auto Club and CHP have worked together on many issues of public importance. "In 1997 the two organizations collaborated to win adoption of California's graduated driver license law," Thorp said. "More recently, the Auto Club and CHP joined forces to pass legislation requiring children under 6 years of age or less than 60 pounds riding in a vehicle to be in safety devices called booster seats. Also, we have worked with the CHP to raise awareness of the danger of drinking and driving, distracted driving and the special needs of senior motorists."

In 1929, there were 2,026,868 registered vehicles in California. That number grew to 31,017,017 by 2003. Along with growth in traffic law enforcement, the CHP's role has expanded to assume the duties of the state police. In the post-9/11 era, the CHP has the principal homeland security role in the state for guarding vital roads and bridges from potential terrorist threats, watching over state buildings and protecting the governor.