258 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

gram be enacted. Legislative defeats in the area of highway safety
were not without their benefits, however, since they did give us an
opportunity to study the reasons for opposition to certain Federal
standards.

The inclusion in the National Highway Safety Act of 1966 of the
so-called "penalty clause" denying to those states that fail to comply
with the proposed Federal highway safety standards by December 31,
1968, ten percent of their Federal highway construction allotment an-
nually is coercive in nature and, therefore, deeply resented by legis-
lators who prize their independence and freedom of choice. Since its
inception, Secretary Boyd, Dr. Haddon and others associated with
the National Highway Safety Agency, now known as the National
Highway Safety Bureau, have attempted to convince the public that
the highway safety program is truly a National program developed
jointly by the Federal government and the states as equal partners.
So long as cooperation depends on the element of coercion, this pro-
gram cannot, factually, be labeled a national one but must remain,
as it does now in the eyes of most state officials, a Federal one. In ad-
dition, the penalty clause is completely inconsistent with the basic
philosophy underlying the development of the National Highway
Safety program. States with safety programs not meeting or exceeding
Federal standards are denied ten percent of their Federal highway
construction allotments, Thus, the ability of these states to even at-
tempt to comply with Federal standards is further hampered since
they may be denied the very funds needed to assure compliance.

I also submit, gentlemen, that we can enact all the legislation we
want, set all the standards, and still not achieve full success in the
field of traffic safety without the support and understanding of the
public. With this in mind I want to speak to you for a moment in
the dual role of "consumer" and "salesman. "

As a consumer I want any and all worthwhile products that will
assist the State in developing more effective safety standards. I don't
particularly care where the product comes from, as long as it does
the job.

After I as a consumer look at the product, I then must sell it to my
Legislature and the people of my State, and this is not as easy as it
sounds. Based on my experience in this dual role, I offer some sug-
gestions to those who make the product.

In every case the product must be labeled with supporting material
that is clearly and concisely stated because legislatures are very real-