Supporting the goals and ideals of a world day of remembrance for road crash victims.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 87) supporting the goals and ideals of a world day of remembrance for road crash victims.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H. Con. Res. 87, a bill that supports the goals and ideas for a world day of remembrance for road crash victims. H. Con. Res. 87, which has 54 cosponsors, was introduced by Representative Robert Wexler on March 8, 2007. H. Con. Res. 87 was reported from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on June 12, 2007 by a voice vote.

The third Sunday in November is designated as a world day of remembrance for road crash victims. This resolution commemorates the 1.2 million people killed in road crashes globally, including 40,000 in the United States each year.

Road crashes are the second leading cause of death worldwide among young people from ages 5 to 29, and the third leading cause of death among people aged 30 to 44 years. Vehicle accidents every year have injured and disabled as many as 50 million people throughout the world. Road traffic injuries cost countries approximately $518 billion each year, which is between 1 and 5 percent of the gross domestic product of each nation.

I support this legislation to encourage the people of the United States and of the world to support and participate in programs and activities to commemorate a world day of remembrance for road crash victims with appropriate ceremonies, programs and other activities.

Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague, Robert Wexler, for introducing this legislation and urge swift passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would urge passage of this legislation, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I am proud to submit S. Con. Res. 39, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a world day of remembrance for road crash victims. This resolution is the Senate companion to H. Con. Res. 87, which was recently submitted in the House.

Each crash might seem to us, in its immediacy, like an isolated tragedy, but when we step back, we see that each has its part in a global crisis that is deepening year by year. The day of remembrance-- set by the United Nations General Assembly for the third Sunday of November--is not just for the 40,000 people who die in road crashes each year in America; it is for the 1.2 million who die in crashes in every part of the world and for the staggering 20 to 50 million who are injured. In fact, the World Health Organization predicts that, by the year 2020, the death rate from crashes each year will surpass the death rate from AIDS.

True, many of these crashes are unique disasters, but that leaves many more whose causes are systemic and preventable. Unsafe roads, poor medical facilities, and inadequate driver education all contribute their share to the death toll. And unsurprisingly, the toll is highest, and rising, in middle- and low-income countries. Road safety, then, is an issue of economic justice.

On the world day of remembrance, we will recall all of the victims of road crashes; we keep their families in our thoughts, and we pray for the full recovery of those still living. But our compassion for individuals must not obscure the bigger picture. ``We have to change the way we think about crashes,'' said Diza Gonzaga, the mother of a car-crash victim in Brazil. ``The majority of people think that crashes are due to fate. We have to think of a crash as a preventable event.''

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, every year approximately 40,000 people in the United States die in road crashes. The number worldwide is even more devastating, over 1.2 million. These tragedies are overwhelming to the victims and their families and lead to numerous unintended physical, emotional and financial hardships.

H. Con. Res. 87 supports a world day of remembrance for road crash victims on the third Saturday of every November. According to the World Health Organization, 90 percent of motorist-related deaths occur in low and middle income countries. The countries are in need of improved road systems, increased prevention initiatives, and education programs for new drivers.

Too many of these road crash fatalities can be prevented through legislation, consistent enforcement and better education on the use of safety precautions such as seatbelts, child restraints and helmets. Drunk driving prevention programs and campaigns such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving are useful tools to bring awareness to such tragedies.

Communities and families worldwide must work together to prevent road crashes and related deaths. These traffic accidents injure or disable more than 50 million people. It is time we take these numbers into perspective to end dangerous and life-threatening vehicle crashes.

With that, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 87.

Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield back my time.

Madam Speaker, today, we will pass H. Con. Res. 87, supporting the goals and ideals of a world day or remembrance for road crash victims.

This legislation sets aside the third Sunday of November as a day of remembrance for road crash victims and their families, and calls on nations globally to improve road safety.

It also encourages our country to support and participate in programs and activities to commemorate a world day of remembrance for road crash victims with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and other activities.

Each year 40,000 people in the U.S. die in road crashes--last year Nebraska had 226 fatal crashes, according to the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety.

Very few of us can say we have never been affected by a road crash. It is my hope, through these educational and informative steps, we can lower the total of Americans--and Nebraskans--lost to road crashes each year.