November 23, 1998

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today issued the following statement as it announced its withdrawal from participation in the National Truck & Bus Safety Summit slated for Dec. 7-8 in Atlanta:

"Truck and bus safety is a top priority of the FHWA and, as an agency, we want our actions to reflect our commitment to inclusive participation by all stakeholders. We work closely with those who share our passion for improving safety on our nation's highways. We believe we can and should do even more, however, to ensure our national agenda is as fully inclusive as possible of all perspectives on this critical issue.

FHWA applauds the excellent work of our Summit partners. We have tremendous appreciation and respect for their enduring commitment to safety. But, as FHWA efforts have not yet resulted in the broad representation to which we are committed, we have decided to withdraw our participation in the Summit. We have shared our decision with other DOT agencies."

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