The U.S. Postal Service provides a vital link between the NMA and you, our members. From the quarterly member magazine, Driving Freedoms, to letter status reports during these COVID times, we rely heavily on the usually reliable USPS to deliver our information to you throughout the year.
The postal service has undergone some changes in recent months, from the retirement of some high-speed sorting equipment to cutbacks in overtime for employees. The effect of these actions has often been a slowdown in the delivery cycle.
December is a critical period for nonprofits. It is the end-of-year, tax-planning month for many. Donations from supporters during these few weeks can make a significant difference in the resources available to us to further our mission of protecting and advancing the rights of motorists.
So what do these two things ─ mail delivery and December fundraising ─ have in common?
Every year, the NMA mails out a late November campaign letter to members asking for contributions to our cause. This year, that letter has been delayed. Our mailing was dropped at the post office immediately after the Thanksgiving weekend, but delivery is already running several days late.
In case you don’t receive that mailing from us soon, below is the message it contains from NMA President Gary Biller. If you haven’t done so already, please consider making a generous, tax-advantaged donation to the nonprofit National Motorists Association.
I love it when we strike a chord that resonates throughout the NMA membership. Such is the case with the proposition of NMA-led research initiatives designed to further public knowledge and create a broader dialog about issues motorists face every day. Member reaction to our request for the funding of such data-driven studies has been tremendous.
The number of individuals donating during the first half of the current NMA fall campaign is up nearly 40 percent compared to similar fundraising periods of recent years!
Please help us continue the momentum. If you haven’t had an opportunity to donate yet this year, take advantage of the tax benefit of gifting the nonprofit, 501(c)(3) National Motorists Association by December 31st. Your contribution options are provided below.
While the campaign has been going very well, please note that the NMA’s annual Spring fundraiser was canceled as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have much ground to make up to adequately fund an NMA research program.
You can also help in another way: Let us know how you would prioritize the research projects noted below. Take the opportunity to suggest your own project ideas. Our email address is nma@motorists.org. We will feature many of the suggestions in the upcoming Winter 2021 issue of Driving Freedoms.
Here are the four research projects currently under consideration:
Effect on driver behavior & traffic safety of arbitrarily lowered posted speed limits
Some cities are rushing to lower speed limits while ignoring proven engineering safety standards. The “slower is safer” mantra is not accurate according to much data already gathered. An NMA study would expand the dataset and analyze the adverse effects of slowing traffic to a crawl, or as some are proposing, eliminating vehicular movement completely.
The Statistical Accuracy of Traffic Accident Reports
Investigate whether assigned causes for accidents reflect reality on the road. Data collected from accident reports directly affect government highway safety policies which in turn influence enforcement actions. Poorly resolved data results in, at the least, misinformed policy.
The true cost to taxpayers of Vision Zero programs and the effect on road user safety
The cost to taxpayers, locally and nationally, for Vision Zero and Complete Streets programs, already staggeringly in the billions of dollars, continues to escalate. A hard look at the actual cost of such programs and their real effect on safety is overdue.
The environmental impact of the use of stop signs rather than yield signs
Think of how many times each day you stop or slow down and speed back up at a lightly traveled intersection. Multiply that by millions of drivers and you get a sense of the wasteful expenditure of fuel, and the added wear-and-tear on vehicles. An added bonus: While environmentalists often see drivers as the enemy, this research project could convert them into becoming allies for freeing up traffic flow.
Please add the NMA to your charitable organizations that you are supporting this year. Your gift can provide you with a 2020 tax benefit and can pay handsome dividends by funding our important motorist-related research.
THANK YOU!