O'ahu hosts highway safety meet

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

About 300 transportation and public safety officials from across the country will meet in Honolulu next week to discuss highway safety issues.

National Transportation Safety Board chair Ellen Engleman Conners is expected to address the officials at the annual conference of the Governors' Highway Safety Association, the largest such group in the country.

Association officials say the conference will focus on an ambitious goal set by the nation's governors to reduce the nation's traffic fatality rate to 1 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The current rate is 1.48.

"It's an excellent chance for top safety officials to get together and discuss what's working," said Scott Ishikawa, state Transportation Department spokes-man.

"It's also a chance for a lot of our highway safety officials to meet people from elsewhere and attend workshops."

Conners is expected to outline the legislative steps the NTSB would like to see state and federal governments undertake to reduce highway fatalities.

A variety of workshops will explore highway safety topics, including highway speed limits, motorcycle fatalities, seat belt use, and traffic safety education programs aimed at the nation's minority drivers.

Gov. Linda Lingle is expected to address the group on Monday and outline the state's highway safety programs and priorities, Ishikawa said.

The conference runs Sunday through Wednesday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel in Waikiki.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5460.