VIDEO: D.A. for Nassau County, N.Y., Accepts GHSA Award

The Governors Highway Safety Association last week presented its most prestigious award to Kathleen Rice, in recognition of her efforts to advance highway safety while serving as district attorney for Nassau County, N.Y. 

The James J. Howard Highway Safety Trailblazer Award is presented each year as part of GHSA’s annual meeting.

During her eight-and-a-half years in office, Rice has used her position to “advance highway safety at every level, spearheading prevention programs for teenage drivers, working with state lawmakers to craft stronger traffic safety legislation, creating the county’s first vehicular crimes bureau and piloting a new program of early intervention and intensive supervision for DUI offenders,” GHSA said in a news release.

To view Rice’s acceptance speech, click on the photo or link above.

Also during its Sept. 9 awards ceremony in Grand Rapids, Mich., GHSA presented the Kathryn J.R. Swanson Public Service Award to Joseph Farrow, commissioner of the California Highway Patrol. Farrow helped California achieve the lowest level of traffic-related fatalities since the federal government began recording such data. During his 35-year career, Farrow also led efforts to advance highway safety on a broader level though his work with the International Association of Chiefs of Police and other organizations.

Additionally, GHSA presented four Peter K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Awards to the following:

• Tim Hollister for his efforts to overhaul Connecticut’s graduated driver licensing law and promote better driver training

• AT&T’s “It Can Wait Campaign” for its efforts to combat distracted driving

• Judge John S. Kennedy and the Target 25 Program for the anti-DUI recidivism campaign in York County, Pa.

• Safe Roads Alliance for its Parent’s Supervised Driving Program aimed at educating parents and guardians of teenage drivers about promoting safe driving.