Page 57 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – November 2019

1986
AAA receives recognition when President Ronald Reagan honors Shelby L. Butler, a recipient of AAA’s School Safety Patrol Lifesaving Medal from St. Joseph, Missouri, in his Feb. 4 State of the Union Address.
She is the first patroller to be so honored.
The organization is designated a certified frequency coordinator in its automobile emergency radio service spectrum by the Federal Communications Commission. And it begins offering TripAssist, a 24-hour emergency service providing medical, legal and transportation services to international travelers.
At this time in history: Space shuttle Challenger explodes soon after launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven aboard. A nuclear accident occurs at USSR Chernobyl power station.
1987
AAA helps defeat a 10-cent-per-gallon federal gasoline tax and participates in Transportation 2020, a group of public and private organizations formed to assess long-term highway needs.
The association provides the Online Touring Information System to all AAA clubs and supports a law authorizing the federal government to spend $87.5 billion over a five- year period to complete the interstate highway system.
At this time in history: Iraqi missiles kill 37 in an attack on U.S. frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf. Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wins a rare third term. Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand make the first transatlantic hot-air balloon flight, 2,790 miles from Sugarloaf Mountain, Maine, to Ireland.
1988
AAA focuses legislative efforts on the Truck & Bus Safety Regulatory Reform Act of 1988, requiring interstate drivers and equipment to meet federal safety regulations. The act is signed into law in November.
The organization combines the Online Touring Information System with other automated services under the name AAA Travel Match.
At this time in history: An automated cartography
system makes its debut. The U.S. and Canada reach a free trade agreement. Benazir Bhutto, the first Islamic woman prime minister, is chosen to lead Pakistan. A Pan-Am 747 explodes from a terrorist bomb and crashes in Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on the ground.
1989
AAA membership passes 31 million.
AAA reverses a long-standing policy against toll roads in order to explore the use of impact fees as alternative financing. The organization moves the AAA National Office from Falls Church, Virginia, to Heathrow, Florida, near Orlando.
At this time in history: More than 1 million people in Beijing demonstrate for democracy, and thousands are killed in the city’s Tiananmen Square. After 28 years, the Berlin Wall is felled. Ruptured tanker Exxon Valdez sends 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. The first World Wide Web server and browser are developed.
1990
AAA joins the Federal Highway Administration, Avis, General Motors and the Florida Department of Transportation in the Smart Car experiment, also known as the TravTek Project. This test of a computerized in-car navigation and travel information system
proves consumer acceptance of telematics technology that would make driving easier and reduce traffic congestion.
The association publishes the AAA Travel Activity Book, the official AAA TourBook® guide for kids. It also begins offering a cellular phone program to members.
At this time in history: The Western Alliance ends the Cold War and proposes joint action with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. President George Bush signs the Clean Air Act, mandating a variety of pollution-reducing changes in the automobile and fuel industries. The Persian Gulf War begins when Iraqi troops invade Kuwait.
Get to know the history and path ahead of one of the world’s largest membership organizations.
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