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<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 19, 2010 11:34
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Angela Wolf; Anil Lewis; Art
Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cassandra
McNabb; Cathy Jackson; Charlene Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel
Burke; Don Galloway; Donna Wood; Elsie Dickerson; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner;
Fred Schroeder; Gary Ray; Gary Wunder; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; Jennelle
Bichler; Jennifer Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joyce Scanlan;
Ken Rollman; Kevan Worley; Kim Williams; Larry Posont; Lynn Majewski; Mary
Willows; Matt Lyles; Matt Lyles; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael
Freeman; Mika Pyyhkala; Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Rena
Smith; Richard Gaffney; Ron Brown; Ron Gardner; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre;
Selena Sundling-Crawford<BR><B>Subject:</B> Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures
to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chris Danielsen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Director of Public Relations <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyTextIndent><FONT face=Arial>(410)
262-1281 (Cell)</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face=Arial>Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to
<BR>Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<H2 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><EM><FONT face=Arial>Urge Passage as Part of Motor
Vehicle Safety Act<o:p></o:p></FONT></EM></SPAN></H2>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Baltimore,
Maryland (May 19, 2010):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> The
National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB),
the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), and the Association of
International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) announced today that they have
agreed on proposed legislative language that will protect blind pedestrians and
others from the danger posed by silent vehicle technology. The four
organizations are urging Congress to adopt and pass the language as part of the
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010—which is currently pending in both houses of
Congress—as quickly as possible. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The proposed language would require the
Department of Transportation to promulgate a motor vehicle safety standard
requiring automobiles to emit a minimum level of sound to alert the blind and
other pedestrians. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, said: “The National Federation of the Blind commends the
automobile industry for its leadership on this issue and for its genuine concern
for the safety of blind Americans, cyclists, runners, small children, and other
pedestrians. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We look forward to
working with the parties to this agreement, the United States Congress, and the
Department of Transportation to ensure that <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s streets remain safe, both
for those who drive and for those who do not.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"Good policy is a collaborative effort, and this is a
good approach for pedestrians and automakers," said Dave McCurdy, President and
CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Other people,
including pedestrians who are not blind, cyclists, runners, seniors, and small
children, also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle engines.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></SPAN>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A recent report released by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that hybrid and electric vehicles
are nearly twice as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians as
vehicles with internal combustion engines.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<H2 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT
face=Arial>About the National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H2>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyTextIndent><FONT face=Arial>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 <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education,
research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and
self-confidence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is the leading
force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In January 2004 the NFB opened the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and
training center in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place> for the blind led by the blind.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P></FONT></DIV>
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