By Bob Chauncey

We are a growing alliance of organizations and individuals seeking to end the acceptance of over 40,000 traffic deaths a year in the United States. We are outraged at the common belief that traffic crashes are unavoidable "accidents" and are combining our forces to stop these unacceptable and predictable crashes.

The Traffic Justice movement will be based on four defining principles.

1. The primary goal of our transportation system must be the prevention of traffic crashes. We believe the traditional emphasis of US transportation and safety agencies on making crashes safer through technology has failed to achieve reductions in injuries and fatalities on a par with the crash prevention efforts in other countries.

2. We offer instead the principle of Traffic Justice -- the expectation of just and accountable conduct of all participants in our transportation system. Our initiatives will require that drivers, car manufacturers, road designers, elected officials, law enforcers, community planners and others take specific actions toward preventing traffic crashes. For example, some of the traffic justice changes we are working toward would:

- require drivers to comply with all traffic laws and thereby hold drivers fully accountable for their actions;
- require the installation of event data recorders and other law enforcement technologies into cars and trucks to support the adherence of traffic laws;
- require roads to be designed and built to dramatically reduce speeding, while safely accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists;
- restrict any promotion of dangerous driving;
- assist in the passage of laws extending the privilege of driving only to those who have not abused it;
- require law enforcement agencies to assign traffic law enforcement a priority consistent with the importance of preventing traffic crashes in the communities they serve;
- encourage community leaders to support developments likely to yield shorter trips, fewer trips, and more walking, biking and public transit to complete these trips.

Primaries are less then two weeks away and if you have not contacted your candidate of choice and let them know of your support and that you are a cyclist please do so. One person well connected with their elected official can make a difference. So imagine what a bunch of people united in a cause can do.

And that is why I am writing, if we group together we can make a huge difference. Due to tax code status, bike clubs and organizations are limited what they can do politically so it is up to us as individuals to make the difference, and we can if we act as a group!

So if you have some time to help out or if you have some money to donate to help promote cycling then read on.