According to the United States Department of Transportation, 32, 367 people died in 2011 as a result of a traffic accident. While this number seems incredibly high, it represents a 26 percent decrease since 2006. This is good news and is due, in part, to everyday citizens, like you, standing up to their representatives in their states and demanding for stronger road safety measures to be taken. This is good news, but may have caused some citizens to become lax in their demands for more safety measures. Just in the first nine months of 2012, there are already reports of seeing a seven percent rise in the number of fatal accidents. Do your part in protecting the roadways and tell your state representatives that you want action.
Issues for Keeping Our Road Safe
There are many dangers facing our roadways today, including everything from distracted drivers to poor road maintenance to unsupervised roadways. Many states are reporting record high numbers on how many bridges are in need of immediate repairs, but there is no funding set aside to make these necessary repairs. In addition, potholes have become larger and more frequent because the roads are not properly maintained on a regular basis, and cities are crying out for help covering the expenses. These are just accidents waiting to happen on our roadways. This does not even take into account distracted drivers, who are causing accidents at record high numbers. Some cities have made it illegal to text and drive, but many states are still waiting to make this a statewide decision.
Writing an Effective Letter
When writing a letter to your state representative, you want to keep the letter brief and to the point. They receive dozens of letters from concerned citizens about a variety of issues concerning the community, so they only have time to briefly scan each letter. Open your letter by stating your objective or what action you would like the representative to take. Then list all the reasons why you would like his/her support on this issue. You can consider using bullet point to list each reason to make it easier for them to scan the letter. Do not forget to include your name and contact information, in case your representative needs more information. Be sure to write to all of your state representatives, and write an additional follow up letter a few weeks later.
Where to Send Letter to Representative
You should be able to find your state representatives quickly by doing an online search. You can also look in your local phone book, as a list of the representatives in your area should be listed near the front of the book. Typically, you will find an address and possibly even an email address for where you can send your letter. The state representative for your area should also have a local office where you can hand deliver your letter if you prefer.
No matter what issues you deem important, it is crucial that you let your voice be heard. Let your representatives in congress know how important road safety is to you. If possible encourage your friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers to also write letters. Together, you can let your representatives know that having more than 32,000 people die on our roadways each year is unacceptable and we can do better.
