The last time Cody Garner saw his father was when he dropped him at football practice. Hours later, his father was killed in a work zone accident.

Cody was just beginning his sophomore year of high school when he lost his father. Today he’s starting his senior year at the University of Arkansas where he is pursuing a double major and a double minor. He’s grateful to the American Traffic Safety Services Foundation for the Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship he has received each year of his college studies.

Though this year’s pandemic has challenged people in countless ways, The Foundation still needs help to carry out the programs it offers to support individuals and families impacted by work zone incidents.

ATSSA and the Automotive Safety Council (ASC) this week received the Collaborative Partnership of the Year Award from TU-Automotive during a virtual ceremony.

The award recognizes two or more companies that “have undertaken a meaningful, non-commercial partnership with the objective of advancing the development and/or adoption of automotive technology” for the period between Jan. 1, 2019 and Feb. 19, 2020.

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner and ASC President Doug Campbell accepted the award on behalf of their respective associations.

ATSSA’s 2020 Legislative Briefing & Fly-In has gone virtual, offering members the opportunity to participate without traveling to the nation’s capital.

“If you’ve never taken part, this year’s event provides a great way to get a glimpse into legislative advocacy from the comfort of your home or office,” said ATSSA Vice President of Government Relations Nate Smith. “The Legislative Briefing & Fly-In gives ATSSA members the unique opportunity to interact directly with lawmakers and have their issues and priorities heard.”

The Sept. 15-16 event is free to members but the deadline to register is Sept. 7.

The Democratic National Convention kicks off today and our Government Relations Team is on the move, making contact with members of Congress in support of ATSSA’s interests in roadway safety.

While he won’t be able to be there in person,  Vice President of Government Relations Nate Smith will be taking part in virtual conversations with political leaders about key ATSSA issues including cybersecurity and technology, energy and the environment, and the role of the private sector in economic recovery.

Smith also plans outreach during next week's Republican National Convention.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) notified ATSSA today of several new devices that recently received federal-aid eligibility letters from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The devices, which are compliant with the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), are listed below. The majority on the list are offered by ATSSA member companies.

The devices are also listed online along with FHWA letters that provide information about crash tests that were conducted.

In the digital age, transportation news arrives via alert, text, email, blog, website, radio, TV and even in print. Speed and accuracy count and can help move traffic and prevent calamities.

Like the latest tools in traffic management and vehicle technology, we rely on this information to safely navigate and plan our routes. We also explore it to learn about industry developments, track the competition and find leads for new business.

Recognize someone who does a great job providing fair, balanced and informative reporting about the roadway safety industry by submitting a nomination for the National Media Award. 

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) Roadside Safety Design Committee and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Technical Committee on Roadside Safety met Monday with a focus on implementation and updates for the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).

AASHTO announced that it is working on a scoping project intended to determine the effort it needs to invest to convert MASH into a set of performance specifications, said ATSSA Vice President of Member Services Donna Clark.

Clark, Director of Innovation & Technical Services Eric Perry, and Training Program Manager Jessica Scheyder took part in TRB’s virtual summer conference, which covers a broad range of topics and continues through Aug. 13.

Midyear Digital’s Opening General Session features a panel of national experts providing their “6:60:6 Predictions” for the roadway safety industry.

Panelists include Ken Simonson, chief economist, Associated General Contractors of America;  Jeff Davis, senior fellow and editor, Eno Transportation Weekly; and ​Hilary Cain, vice president, Technology, Innovation, and Mobility Policy, Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

Registration is now open for this fully virtual meeting.

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetchner will appear on the “Down with the Dig” podcast starting Tuesday. During the podcast, he talks to the hosts about work zone safety.

Down with the Dig hosts discuss safety, technology and legislation issues related to the Ohio Valley Region with their guests. The podcasts are produced by the Ohio Laborers-Employers Cooperation Education Trust.

ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo takes place Jan. 29-Feb. 2 and President & CEO Stacy Tetschner looks forward to making his first ATSSA convention an unforgettable event.

ATSSA is moving ahead with preparations for the 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo with the expectation that an in-person meeting will be possible in San Diego. People also have the option of registering for virtual attendance.

A decision will be made by Sept. 30 whether to hold the Convention as a fully virtual event.