MTSC's Guiding Principles

The mission of the Maine Transportation Safety Coalition (MTSC) is to promote safe transportation in Maine. In promoting safe transportation throughout our state, it is necessary for the MTSC members to share common beliefs and agree on basic principles. As such, We the members of the Maine Transportation Safety Coalition, believe:

A Multi-Faceted Approach is Key to Addressing Transportation Safety in Maine

• The MTSC believes that using a combination of intervention strategies aimed at education, enforcement, engineering, emergency medical services, encouragement and legislation can best solve the transportation problems in Maine. We support effective communication, coordination, and cooperation in combining these strategies to develop effective solutions.

Quality Service is Critical to Our Success

• The MTSC was formed to promote safe transportation in Maine and to serve as a transportation safety resource for the State of Maine. For the MTSC to effectively accomplish this goal, it is critical to provide quality service to all of our customers. MTSC members agree that timely and quality information and assistance will be provided to all those who contact the MTSC.

All Members Should Be Actively Involved in Coalition Activities

• The success of the MTSC is based on its diverse membership. Agencies, organizations and companies representing a wide array of transportation modes and transportation safety disciplines uniquely represent the MTSC. Therefore, it is critical that all members provide input and become actively involved in MTSC activities.
  
  
• MTSC members agree that their participation, input, and feedback is instrumental in all MTSC activities. Therefore, members agree to participate to the fullest extent possible. When participation cannot be in the form of performing specific activities, or attendance at meetings, members will at least provide input and feedback to ensure we are adequately representing all members of the Coalition and reaching the largest possible target audience.

The "Safe Communities" Model is a Key Strategy to Reducing Transportation Related Injuries and Deaths

• The problem of transportation-related injuries and death can best be addressed at the local level. Therefore, the MTSC endorses the Safe Communities Model that is endorsed and promoted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
  
  
• Definition: A Safe Community is a community that promotes injury prevention activities at the local level to solve local transportation safety problems, in conjunction with other injury problems. The concept uses a 'bottom up" approach and involves citizens in addressing key injury problems. A community is any group, organization, or formal district that defines itself as a community.
  
  
• While the MTSC is focused on transportation safety, the MTSC should work with, and support, all community-based efforts to reduce injuries and fatalities. Working together to accomplish a common goal is a founding principle of the Coalition and is one of the basic premises of a Safe Community.
  
  
• Vision: Our vision for the future is to ensure that every community in Maine is a Safe Community.

A Crash is Not an Accident

• The MTSC will be consistent with Federal terminology in referring to crashes. Terminologies such as "crash", "collision", "incident" and "injury" are preferred alternatives to the word "accident". MTSC members agree to use the appropriate terminology in published materials, in speeches or other statements or in communication with the media and others. MTSC members will also work to encourage State transportation officials, and others, to limit the use of the term "accident" and use the more appropriate terminology.
  
  
• The MTSC agrees to this terminology since the use of the word "accident" fosters the idea that the resulting damage and injuries are unavoidable. In reality, crashes are predictable results of specific actions and the continued use of the word "accident" implies that these events are outside human influence or control.