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August 29, 1996 CONTACT: Sharon Beadle 212/395-1802 Lighting the way to safer streets; NYNEX kicks off Daytime Running Lights Program for New York fleet NEW YORK--August 29, 1996--NYNEX thanks you in advance for telling us our lights are on. The truth is, we know, and we plan to keep them on -- for safety. Driving with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) is a joint initiative by NYNEX and its union-represented employees from the Communication Workers of America (CWA) to make our working environment and communities safer. Our program, "Lights on for Safety," kicks off in New York on Sept. 3, 1996, to coincide with the beginning of the school year. More than 7,000 NYNEX cars, trucks and vans are equipped with a device that automatically turns the headlights on when the ignition is started. Since DRLs increase the visibility of vehicles by some 2,400 feet, drivers, school children, pedestrians and cyclists will all be able to see our vehicles sooner. "NYNEX is ahead of any national or state regulations in equipping our fleet with automatic DRLs, because we are confident that DRLs will be a key factor in reducing our accident rate and severity," says Gail Cardona, director--NYNEX Corporate Safety and Health. "In fact, if we avoid one serious accident, it will have been worth the effort to initiate this program." The added visibility DRLs provide gives drivers more time to respond to or avoid a potential accident. In the first year of mandated DRLs in Canada, the government reported 10,000 fewer motor vehicle accidents. In the United States, a major car rental company showed a 69 percent decrease in the severity of accident damage on a test fleet of 1,500 vehicles equipped with DRLs. At least one major insurance company gives policy holders a discount if they drive vehicles equipped with DRLs. "Safety has always been a priority for the CWA and NYNEX," says Dick Halliday, president, CWA Local 1106. "Working together to initiate a DRL program for our vehicles gives our drivers the added protection that increased visibility can bring." Except for those vehicles slated to be replaced in the near future, the entire New York fleet is equipped with the automatic DRL device. Drivers of vehicles without the device, will manually turn on their headlights beginning Sept. 3. NYNEX is a global communications and media company that provides a full range of services in the northeastern United States and high-growth markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The Corporation is a leader in the telecommunications, wireless communications, cable television, directory publishing and entertainment and information services. FAX copies of recent NYNEX news releases are available free of charge, 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-331-1214 and an automated system will provide instructions. return to news archive