Most Americans Are Unprepared for REAL ID Deadline, U.S. Travel Says
byDaine泰勒/
美国旅行协会进行的一项研究表明,四分之一的美国人在2020年10月1日即将到来的实际ID截止日期中没有准备好。
The program, implemented by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is the last phase of enforcement of the REAL ID Act, the law originally passed in 2005 that will require travelers to present a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or other approved form of identification in order to board a flight.
As it stands, according to the study, millions of people could be prevented from boarding a plane because they do not have the required identification. According to the survey conducted for U.S. Travel by Longwoods International, a market research consultancy, 72% of Americans either do not have a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or are unsure if they do.
美国旅行协会主席兼首席执行官罗杰·道沃(Roger Dow)表示:“我们的调查给了我们我们不想听到的答案,从真实的ID中出现了令人震惊的意识和准备就绪。”“这不仅是因为它会给旅行者带来不便并在美国机场造成混乱,而且可能会对我们国家的经济造成重大破坏。”
该研究表明,对真实身份证计划的认识严重不足,其中一半以上的美国人(57%)表示他们不知道即将到来的截止日期。许多美国人还缺乏符合真正ID的国家发行的驾驶执照的替代方案,例如美国护照。实际上,有39%的美国人表示,他们没有任何形式的身份证明,从2020年10月1日开始接受。这相当于估计的9,900万美国人,目前可能没有适当的身份证明明年从明年开始登上飞机。
"That's why the U.S. Travel Association has launched a broad education effort alongside the full spectrum of public- and private-sector travel stakeholders: airports, federal government agencies, tourism offices, and the huge community of large and small businesses that depend on American travelers — we need all hands on deck to avert a big problem next October," said Dow.
Based on this data, U.S. Travel economists estimated the potential economic impact of REAL ID implementation: If REAL ID standards were to be fully enforced immediately, at least 78,500 air travelers could be turned away at TSA checkpoints on the first day, costing the U.S. economy $40.3 million in lost travel-related spending. If that trend was sustained for a full week, the figures could grow to more than half a million (549,500) air travelers prevented from boarding planes and $282 million in lost travel spending.
Individual states are initiating their own awareness campaigns to help get citizens ready for the change, but according to Dow, a concerted effort is needed to help make people aware and ready for the implementation of the REAL ID standards.
The U.S. Travel Association is spearheading an initiative by private-sector travel stakeholders to better prepare the country for the Oct. 1, 2020, REAL ID deadline. To that end, the association has developed a toolkit filled with resources for its membership and other allies to help educate Americans on what a REAL ID is and how to prepare for it. The toolkit features facts, figures, and even talking points to get people fully informed. The organization is also coordinating engagement with policymakers and government agencies to proactively address the lack of pre-deadline awareness.