On May 13, 2014, Daphne Izer, founder of Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT), was honored by the White House as a Transportation Champion of Change for her 20 years of truck safety advocacy and commitment to reducing truck driver fatigue. PATT was founded in 1994 by Daphne and her husband Steve Izer after their teenage son, Jeff Izer, and his friends were tragically killed by a fatigued truck driver. Daphne directed the grief and anger over the loss of her son into advocacy and change.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) praised Daphne’s tireless work and efforts and congratulated her on this tremendous honor. In a recent article, FMCSA Administrator, Anne Ferro, stated,

Her work to create a national standard for the use of Electronic Logging Devices is a tribute to her son, Jeff, and the thousands of others who have been killed in truck crashes. Daphne’s efforts to improve highway safety have created an awareness of truck driver fatigue and enabled FMCSA to gain support for our Electronic Logging Devices proposal. I’m proud to say that in March, FMCSA announced our proposal to require motor carriers to use Electronic Logging Devices to improve the quality of logbook data and compliance with hours of service safety rules. The uniform use of Electronic Logging Devices is an important step for saving lives and preventing serious injuries.

President Obama also commended Daphne, thanking her for the hard work she does every day.

 Congratulations on being selected as a White House Champion of Change.From the earliest days of our founding, our Nation has been shaped by ordinary people who have dared to dream and use their unique skills to do extraordinary things. Americans like you help carry this tradition forward by reaching for new ideas that will help our country win the future.

Read the rest of the letter from President Obama to Daphne below.

Congratulations to Daphne on all she has achieved—and will continue to achieve—as a Champion of Change.