S.R. 3 Enrolled

1

AIR QUALITY SENATE RESOLUTION
2 2012 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Benjamin M. McAdams
5
6 LONG TITLE
7 General Description:
8 This resolution of the Senate encourages instruction on ways to improve air quality and
9 the harmful effects of vehicle emissions, and encourages Utah motorists to take
10 responsibility to improve air quality.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . encourages the State Board of Education and the Driver License Division to
14 include, in their curriculum for driver education, instruction on ways to improve air
15 quality and the harmful effects of vehicle emissions; and
16 . encourages all motor vehicle drivers to be conscientious regarding their driving
17 choices and take personal responsibility to help improve Utah's air quality.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
20
21 Be it resolved by the Senate of the state of Utah:
22 WHEREAS, Utahns value clean air and healthy lifestyles;
23 WHEREAS, Utah's beautiful landscapes and outdoor recreation activities are a draw for
24 residents, visitors, and businesses;
25 WHEREAS, the Governor of the state of Utah, the Economic Development
26 Corporation of Utah, and the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce have made improving air
27 quality a priority;
28 WHEREAS, in its 2011 State of the Air Report, the American Lung Association gave a
29 failing grade to Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Clearfield for short-term particle pollution;

30 WHEREAS, the same report ranked the Salt Lake City-Clearfield-Ogden area fifth
31 among cities with the most short-term particle pollution;
32 WHEREAS, the same report ranked Provo sixth and ranked Logan ninth;
33 WHEREAS, the same report gave Box Elder, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber
34 Counties failing grades for high ozone days;
35 WHEREAS, more than 72,000 Utahns are afflicted with asthma;
36 WHEREAS, air pollution exacerbates, and may cause, major health problems,
37 including asthma, heart attacks, strokes, and premature births;
38 WHEREAS, more than half of the air pollution and its precursors in Utah's populated
39 valleys is caused by vehicular emissions;
40 WHEREAS, strides have been made to reduce vehicle emissions through development
41 of innovative traffic flow interchanges, by supporting transportation infrastructure development
42 for mass transit, and by promoting car sharing initiatives and carpooling;
43 WHEREAS, a driver can reduce vehicular emissions by keeping a car well maintained,
44 planning good routes and timing, sharing rides, and incorporating other travel modes and smart
45 driving techniques;
46 WHEREAS, driver education provides a critical opportunity for new drivers to acquire
47 good habits concerning the use and operation of cars, and the current driver education
48 curriculum contains little information on best practices to minimize vehicle emissions and
49 contains no information on air quality;
50 WHEREAS, for young drivers who have not yet established their driving habits, the
51 driver education program would be an ideal forum to teach them smart driving techniques that
52 reduce air pollution and save energy;
53 WHEREAS, information regarding air quality and smart driving techniques is available
54 from the Department of Environmental Quality, Travelwise, U-CAIR, Utah Clean Cities, and
55 other programs that may provide the needed resources to develop driver education curriculum;
56 and
57 WHEREAS, air quality can be improved by the collective actions of individuals:

58 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah urges the
59 State Board of Education and the Driver License Division to include, in their curriculum for
60 driver education, instruction on ways to improve air quality and the harmful effects of vehicle
61 emissions.
62 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah encourages all
63 motor vehicle drivers to be conscientious in their driving choices and to take personal
64 responsibility to help improve our air quality.
65 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the State Board
66 of Education, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Utah Driver License
67 Division, and the Utah Department of Health.