Most Americans - 87 percent – support federal funding for highway safety improvements, according to a recent national poll conducted by the State Highway Safety Alliance.

The coalition includes the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Results also show that drivers who think their own habits are safe still admit to speeding or letting themselves be distracted while driving – suggesting more work is needed to help increase safe driving behavior in the United States.

The poll also showed that, while most respondents understand that stopping distances for trucks are greater than those for cars, about half of those polled didn't know how much room to leave between the vehicles when a car's driver attempts to pass in front of a truck. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, a member of the State Highway Safety Alliance, said this showed drivers needed more education about sharing the road safely with trucks.

The poll of 650 licensed drivers was conducted Dec. 3 to Dec. 31, 2003, by Western Wats, an independent survey firm, for Nationwide Insurance and the State Highway Safety Alliance. The survey's margin of error is 3.84 percent.

The poll's results became available as Congress is weighing funding levels for U.S. surface-transportation programs for the next six years. Officials of the alliance’s member groups said the poll results underscored the need for an appropriately funded transportation bill.