Cold War Veterans Blog

VA, DOT, DOD Steer Vets toward Safe Driving
Deadly Toll from Post-Deployment Car Crashes

WASHINGTON (Jan. 12, 2009) - With motor vehicle crashes being a leading
cause of deaths among combat veterans during the first years after their
return home, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of
Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Defense (DOD) are working
together to reduce these accidents.

Today, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake, Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment Wayne Arny, and
Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration David Kelly announced the creation of a new program
designed to identify needed research involving recently returned
veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and to increase awareness of the
importance of safe driving among newly-demobilized veterans.

"VA is committed to helping our returning heroes with world-class health
care and educational benefits, home loans, job training and now with a
specific safe-driving program," said Secretary Peake. "Together with our
partners at DOT and DOD, we will be able to collect and analyze data
that will be used to develop a comprehensive outreach initiative to
target veterans with specific needs -- and ultimately to save lives."

Experts in transportation safety, veterans' health and medical care, and
public health are identifying gaps in current knowledge and developing a
strategic plan for addressing key research questions, in fields ranging
from epidemiology to psychology and biomechanics.

Participants in the strategic planning process include scientists and
policy officials from VA, DOT, DOD and Department of Health and Human
Services, as well as non-governmental experts. The resulting strategic
plan will lay out research needs and identify priorities for the
initiative.

"Our returning combat veterans have already put themselves in harm's way
to protect our way of life. Now it's our turn to take action," said
David Kelly, Acting Administrator of the National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration (NHTSA). "NHTSA can offer knowledge and expertise
to address challenges such as these. Working side-by-side with the
Department of Veterans Affairs, we are committed to tackling this
problem and reducing the number of veterans killed and injured on our
nation's roadways."

The safe-driving initiative strives to increase awareness of motor
vehicle crashes among veterans and the importance of safe driving,
seatbelt and helmet usage, and other measures. To reach out to veterans
and their families, VA will create a national educational program using
the Department's network of medical centers, community clinics, drop-in
counseling centers (Vet Centers), and veterans benefits offices.

The initiative will also include outreach to mobilize national veterans
service organizations; the nation's governors and state police, safety
officers, and state highway safety officials; and the private sector -
including employers; automobile, motorcycle and sports vehicle dealers
and manufacturers; the motor vehicle insurance industry; and driving and
motorcycle racing enthusiasts' organizations. NASCAR legend and safe
driving advocate, Richard Petty, will also be an active partner in the
initiative.

"Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) is thrilled to be working with
VA, DOT and DOD on such a worthwhile project to save veterans' lives,"
said NASCAR legend Richard Petty. "We want to bring more attention to
the continuing problem of veteran drivers and their safety through our
involvement. Last year alone, RPDE operated over 1,100 event days, ran
almost 1 million miles on track and had a staff of professional drivers.
We have the commitment, the knowledge to teach, and the infrastructure
to take this initiative to many markets."

According to the Department of Transportation, motor vehicle crashes are
the leading cause of death for all Americans between the ages of eight
through 34. Men constitute about 70 percent of all traffic deaths. In
the past decade, both deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes
have gone down in the United States, due to increases in seat-belt use
and decreases in alcohol involvement, among other factors.

Nonetheless, motor vehicle accidents remain a major concern in the
military and among veterans as the greatest cause of accidental
fatalities. Several studies have reported an increase in
post-deployment deaths among military personnel who served in a combat
zone compared to their non-deployed counterparts, who are in the
military but not deployed to a war, after both the Vietnam War and the
1991 Gulf War. Preliminary evidence also indicates this is the case
with veterans from the Global War on Terror.

For more information regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs and
the Department of Transportation's safe driving initiative for veterans,
please visit www.safedriving.va.gov <http://www.safedriving.va.gov/> .