In 1961, 856 persons -- 5.3 persons for every 100-million vehicle miles of travel -- died as the result of accidents on Virginia highways, and 29,235 were injured. These deaths and injuries took place despite the best law enforcement efforts of the State and local police authorities and a State safety education program which is regarded as one of the very best in the nation. Appalled by this tragic and needless record of death and suffering, the General Assembly of Virginia at its 1962 Session directed the Virginia Advisory Legislative Council to make a study of the overall State program for safety on the highways. The resolution directing the study is Senate Joint Resolution No. 45.

Pursuant to this resolution, the Council assigned the study to Edward E. Willey, member of the State Senate and a member of the Council, Richmond, and Baldwin G. Locher, member of the House of Delegates and a member of the Council, Lexington, as Co-chairmen of the Committee to make the initial study and report to the Council. Selected to serve with Messrs. Willey and Locher as members of the Committee were the following: Lloyd C. Bird, member of the Senate of Virginia and Manufacturing Chemist and Pharmacist, of Chesterfield County; F. A. Carmines, Physician, Newport News; Mrs. Enders Dickinson, III, Housewife, Richmond; Felix E. Edmunds, Attorney and member of the House of Delegates, Waynesboro; Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Judge, Municipal Court, Roanoke; William H. Irvine, Chairman of the Virginia Railway Association and former member of the House of Delegates, Richmond; Chester H. Lamb, Commissioner, Division of Motor Vehicles, Richmond; Mrs. Albert Rene' Lower, Housewife, Richmond; J. P. Mills, Jr., Engineer, Traffic and Planning Section, State Department of Highways, Richmond; C. Armonde Paxson, Attorney and member of the House of Delegates, Charlottesville; Jeptha S. Rogers, Attorney and former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, McLean; E. H. Williams, Jr., a former member of the House of Delegates, and Executive Vice-President of the Virginia Highway Users Association, Richmond; Alexander L. Wilson, Attorney, Arlington; Colonel C. W. Woodson, Jr., Superintendent of State Police, Richmond; Landon R. Wyatt, member of the Senate of Virginia, Danville.

John B. Boatwright, Jr. and Wildman S. Kincheloe, Jr. served as Secretary and Recording Secretary, respectively, to the Committee.

The Committee held numerous consultations with persons having special knowledge of, or experience with, particular phases of highway safety. It consulted with physicians, attorneys, judges, police officers, and representatives of highway safety organizations. It invited the views and experiences of persons from other states who have experimented with various highway safety programs. After wide publicity, it held a series of public hearings throughout the State at which it solicited and received suggestions from the public for means of curbing the steadily rising injury and death tolls on our highways.

After reviewing the many suggestions made to it and considering the experience of authorities in this State and of other states, the Committee completed its deliberations and made its report to the Council. The Council has reviewed the report of the Committee and now presents its findings and recommendations, and the reasons therefor.