AAMVA’s 2018 Annual International Conference (AIC) was a huge success, August 20–23, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With the help of Ben Franklin himself, AAMVA’s immediate past Chair of the Board Kurt Myers and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation welcomed over 800 attendees to the City of Brotherly Love for three days of engaging sessions and fun networking events. From customer service innovations and change management to a panel discussion on women in highway safety, this year’s AIC provided a wealth of information for attendees to take back home.

Honoring a Lifetime of Service

Scott Stokes, Chief Deputy at the Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles, and Captain Tom Fields, Law Enforcement Liaison with the Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program, were both honored with the Lifetime Achievement in Highway Safety Award at the 2018 AIC. Stokes was the recipient of the award in the motor vehicle administration category, and Captain Fields was the recipient in the law enforcement category.

Stokes’ commitment to saving lives and reducing injuries is making a real difference in Idaho. During his 25-year career at the Idaho Transportation Department, he witnessed how engineering decisions and operational procedures impact highway safety. As a father, community leader and engineer, he has seen how media campaigns impact driver behavior.The award recognizes their commitment to and accomplishments in highway safety over the course of their careers.

Stokes’ passion is linking how engineering and operating decisions influence driver behavior and how driver behavior should influence engineering and operations. He has made safety a strategic goal and a major factor in the department’s performance measures and performance plans, implemented innovative approaches to both engineer safety and influence driver behavior, and identified and focused on problem areas and behaviors through a nationally recognized highway safety plan. Through his efforts, Idaho has seen the lowest number of fatalities on the road in more than 50 years.

Captain Fields has devoted his long career to keeping Vermont’s roadways safe. He has distinguished himself by developing innovative programs designed to improve traffic safety. In addition to his enforcement activities, he pursued research and consultation with law enforcement agencies nationwide, and developed a design for a mobile breath-testing vehicle specifically constructed for use in Vermont. In addition, he supervised and managed a substantial grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) for an innovative program, Safety Through Occupant Protection. This initiative was for the specific purpose of conducting saturation patrols to enforce Vermont’s seatbelt and child passenger safety seat laws.

Captain Fields managed the yearly Law Enforcement Challenge Program, inspiring Vermont’s law enforcement agencies to increase the participation in high visibility enforcement campaigns and improve the effectiveness of the programs. He supports the Drug Recognition Expert and ARIDE programs. He is a member of the Strategic Highway Safety Planning Committee, and actively participates in the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance, a partnership of over 50 public and private entities that work toward the mission of zero deaths on highways. He is a leader in his profession, participating in, and presenting for, highway safety initiatives throughout the country.