As Chair of the Senate’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee, Sen. Linda Gray has sponsored her fair share of legislation aimed at protecting and preserving the well-being and safety of Arizona’s citizens. Most notable, perhaps, is Sen. Gray’s past and present support of strengthened DUI laws, including her primary sponsorship of this session’s SB 1200. Such legislation has earned her several awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and is now garnering her recognition from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA has selected the Senator to receive its prestigious Award for Public Service as a result of her commitment to making our highways safer. According to the administration, highway fatalities are at their lowest number since 1950, thanks in large part to a significant reduction in alcohol-related driving fatalities. NHTSA recognizes that this accomplishment is due in large part to the dedication of highway safety leaders such as Sen. Gray.

“I am honored to be recognized by the NHTSA. The true reward here is seeing a remarkable decline in highway fatalities, especially the 46% reduction in DUI fatalities. The ignition interlock data shows us that the device has prevented a drunk driver from starting their vehicle literally thousands of times”. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to protect and maintain public safety on our roadways, and I intend to continue working tirelessly toward this cause.”

The NHTSA award luncheon will be held at noon on Monday, March 28, during the 2011 Lifesavers Conference at the Phoenix Convention Center.