AAA Celebrates 80 Years of National Programs to Keep Motorists, Pedestrians Safe

ORLANDO, Fla., April 30 -- This week marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of AAA's national traffic safety programs, which have helped teach generations of children and adults how to be safer drivers and protect them from crashes. Well known as the nation's largest organization for motorists, AAA has been a pioneer in national traffic safety initiatives beginning with the establishment of its national traffic safety department in 1928.

"AAA is committed to the safety and security of motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and children," said Robert L. Darbelnet, President and CEO of AAA. "Over the past 80 years AAA has been at the forefront in the development of programs to protect our members and the traveling public. We continue that commitment today through our traffic safety and driver improvement programs and advocacy efforts addressing key issues such as child passenger safety, senior mobility and teen driver safety."

Since the AAA School Safety Patrol started in 1920 and the first driver training was developed in 1935, AAA's legacy of traffic safety programs has continued and grown. Through the years, AAA has added programs to address important issues such as child passenger safety, teen and senior driver safety, seatbelt usage and air bag safety.

Today, AAA offers a wide array of traffic safety programs to address the issues affecting its more than 51 million members as well as other drivers across North America, including:

  --  Driver Education - AAA offers driver improvement programs for drivers
      at all levels of experience, from pre-permit and novice drivers to
      mature operators. AAA also provides parents instruction and guidance
      on teaching their teens to drive, as well as a network of approved
      driving schools.
  --  Child Passenger Safety - AAA is a strong advocate for child passenger
      safety and has a long-term commitment to reducing injuries and deaths
      through its Seated, Safe & Secure campaign initiated in 2002. Through
      the initiative, AAA has worked to close loopholes in child restraint
      laws across the nation and educate the public about proper use of
      child restraints. AAA clubs have also been active in local communities
      promoting child passenger safety.
  --  Senior Mobility - AAA launched its Lifelong Safety Mobility initiative
      in 2003 to address the mobility needs of our country's growing senior
      population. Since then, AAA has developed a suite of senior programs
      as part of the initiative. AAA Roadwise Review is a computer-based
      screening which allows seniors to measure in the privacy of their own
      home the eight functional abilities shown to be the strongest
      predictors of crash risk among older drivers. CarFit, an educational
      program developed by the American Society on Aging in collaboration
      with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association
      (AOTA), helps mature drivers find out how well they "fit" with their
      vehicles, and what actions might be taken to improve their fit. AAA's
      Smart Features for Mature Drivers educates on a broad range of vehicle
      features that help address health issues frequently faced by seniors,
      such as arthritic hands, diminished vision and loss of upper body
      strength.
  --  In-School Programs - AAA offers several in-school traffic safety
      programs, including the AAA School Safety Patrol program and National
      School Traffic Safety Poster program, which both date back more than
      60 years. Each fall, AAA also conducts an annual School's Open--Drive
      Carefully public education campaign to remind motorists and students
      of the importance of school-zone safety.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA