In 1966, an act of Congress created the National Highway Safety Program. It provides that "each State shall have a highway safety program...designed to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, injuries and property damage resulting there from." A chain of responsibility for implementing highway safety programs was established. At the national level the program is administered by two agencies of the U.
S. Department of Transportation; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). These agencies develop overall policy, conduct national research and monitor state programs. In New York, the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) coordinates statewide traffic safety activities. The Committee promotes and supports the state's highway safety program to provide for the safe transportation of people and goods on New York's roadways. The staff of the GTSC manage the state highway safety program by reviewing and monitoring grant programs, coordinating special programs such as the Child Passenger Safety or the Drug Recognition Effort officer programs, and by providing guidance and oversight to state and local agencies. By statute, the Committee is comprised of the heads of the twelve state agencies with missions related to transportation and safety. The GTSC is chaired by the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and as a state department is also housed in the DMV. The Committee acts as the state's official liaison with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The state's Vehicle & Traffic Law established a local government link though community traffic safety boards. A Traffic Safety Board may be established by any county or jurisdiction with a population in excess of 50,000 residents. Normally comprised of persons with a professional interest in traffic safety, these community boards coordinate local programs and approve grant applications prepared by municipal agencies from their jurisdiction, before they submit applications to the GTSC. By policy, the GTSC requires all municipal and not-for-profit local agency applications to have the endorsement of the county traffic safety board. The GTSC also works closely with this network of state and local agencies, non-profit organizations and private-sector partners to deliver quality traffic safety projects, services, and information across the state. See below for the social media use policy for the GTSC page.
