[Nfbnet-members-list] President Signs Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act

[Freeh, Jessica]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

cdanielsen at nfb.org




President Signs Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act

Washington, D.C. (January 5, 2011): The National Federation of the 
Blind today commended President Barrack Obama for signing into law 
the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act (S. 841), which will protect 
the blind and other pedestrians from injury as a result of silent 
vehicle technology.

"The National Federation of the Blind is pleased that this critical 
legislation has been signed into law, preserving the right to safe 
and independent travel for the blind," said Dr. Marc Maurer, 
President of the National Federation of the Blind.  "The blind, like 
all pedestrians, must be able to travel to work, to school, to 
church, and to other places in our communities, and we must be able 
to hear vehicles in order to do so.  This law, which is the result of 
collaboration among blind Americans, automobile manufacturers, and 
legislators, will benefit all pedestrians for generations to come as 
new vehicle technologies become more prevalent.  We look forward to 
working with the Department of Transportation throughout the 
regulatory process."

Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using 
their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, 
direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and 
independently.  Other people, including pedestrians who are not 
blind, bicyclists, runners, and small children, also benefit from 
hearing the sound of vehicle engines.  New vehicles that employ 
hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them 
extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come 
into proximity with each other.

###





About the National Federation of the Blind


With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind 
is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind 
people in the United States.  The NFB improves blind people's lives 
through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs 
encouraging independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading 
force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's 
blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the 
Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in 
the United States for the blind led by the blind.  Please visit our 
Web site: <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20110105/55cb660e/attachment.html>