MEDIA ALERT: PRESS TELECONFERENCE
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EST

CONTACTS:
Pete Daniels , Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
pdaniels@saferoads.org / 301-442-2249 (C)

Janette Fennell , President and Founder, KidsAndCars.org,
Janette@KidsAndCars.org / 415-336-9279 (C)

Amber Rollins , Director, KidsAndCars.org,
Amber@KidsAndCars.org / 913-205-6973 (C)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Safety and Consumer Advocates, and Family Members who Have Lost Loved Ones to Call for Passage of Lifesaving Motor Vehicle Safety Title in Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2)

Legislation would advance vital auto safety upgrades to save lives, prevent injuries and contain costs
What:
The Motor Vehicle Safety Title offered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee Majority is a comprehensive package of measures that will address the unacceptably high toll of motor vehicle crashes, deaths, injuries and associated costs in our Nation. The bill includes requirements for proven advanced crash avoidance technologies including automatic emergency braking (AEB), as well as requirements for systems to prevent hot car deaths, reduce impaired driving, mitigate risks posed by keyless ignition systems, and improve limousine safety. The legislation also calls for essential updates to the U.S. New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), a vital tool for consumers to distinguish the safest cars on the market.

Who:
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9 th )
Chair, House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce

Cathy Chase (moderator)
President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Joan Claybrook
Former Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Amy Cohen
(New York City, NY) Co-founder of Families for Safe Streets.  In October 2013, Amy’s 12-year-old son, Sammy, was waiting for a friend to head to soccer practice when his ball bounced into the street, and he was killed by a Chevrolet van. 

Miles Harrison
(Purcellville, VA) Miles and his wife, Carol, lost their 21-month-old son, Chase, in a hot car tragedy in July 2008.  Out of his normal routine, Miles, a doting and responsible father, lost awareness of Chase in the back seat of his car and went to work thinking his son was safe at daycare. 

Jason Levine
Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety

Sharon R. Shore
(Bellevue, NE) Sharon’s parents, Thomas and Ann MacKinnon, died in April 2019 of carbon monoxide poisoning after unknowingly leaving their car, which was equipped with a keyless ignition system, running. 

William Wallace
Manager, Safety Policy, Consumer Reports

Where:
This event will be conducted via a moderated conference call. All participants will be asked to provide their first and last name, affiliation, email address and a verbal passcode. NOTE: The entire call will be recorded and subsequently posted on www.saferoads.org .

Call-in Numbers:
U.S. Toll Free 800-875-3456
Canadian Toll-free 800-648-0973
U.S. / International Toll 302-607-2001

Passcode: SAFETY

When:
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EST

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KidsAndCars.org , a 501 (c)(3) national nonprofit is dedicated to saving the lives of children and pets in and around motor vehicles. Vehicle-related accidents are the #1 killer of children in the United States. Almost all of these tragedies are preventable. There is a significant opportunity to protect children and pets by focusing efforts on keeping them safe in and around vehicles through risk identification, engineering changes, and education. KidsAndCars.org is devoted to eliminating vehicle-related risks to children and pets through data collection, research and analysis, public education and awareness programs, policy change, product redesign and supporting families to channel their grief into positive change. These everyday events referred to as nontraffic incidents includes being run over, hot car deaths, carbon monoxide poisoning, car theft with children/animals inside, falls, knocking cars into gear, drowning from not being able to exit a submerged vehicle, underage drivers, power window strangulation and trunk entrapment, etc.