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Julia Kite-LaidlawWe’re hard at work preparing for next month’s Road to Zero annual meeting on May 19 in Washington, D.C., and I’m excited to tell you more about our lineup of speakers and presenters. We have invited NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison to provide a keynote speech. One of our current Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grant recipients, the Colorado Whole Blood Coalition, will demonstrate how their prehospital blood transfusion program is saving the lives of crash victims in the Denver area. Then, you will hear from two panels of experts focusing on the Road to Zero pillars — Doubling Down on What Works and Advancing New Technology — with representatives from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Mazda, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and more.
I truly hope you will be able to join us in person, but if you cannot travel, there is a virtual option as well. Registration is completely free. Click here to register for in-person or virtual attendance.
Best,
Julia Kite-Laidlaw
On April 19, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Pathways to Safer Streets (P2SS): A National Traffic Safety Action Plan, a comprehensive, data-driven roadmap designed to reduce traffic deaths through aggressive enforcement, technological innovation, post-crash care and unprecedented national partnerships. Read NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison’s remarks to the LifeSavers Conference here, and learn more about P2SS.
Almost $1 billion in funding is available to invest in safety strategies that reduce serious injuries and fatalities through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. Both Planning and Demonstration Grants and Implementation Grants will be awarded. Click here for the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applications are due no later than May 26, 2026.
Over 40,000 lives were lost in traffic crashes in 2023 – one-third of those crashes involved a drunk driver. For the majority of people, an alcohol impaired driving crash will be a singular lifetime event; however, for a small percentage, it will be a re-offense. Drivers with prior impaired driving convictions are at an elevated risk of reoffending, a pattern known as recidivism. Given this heightened risk, tracking impaired driving offenses is essential for identifying repeat offenders and evaluating the effectiveness of countermeasures aimed at reducing impaired driving crashes.
Use this new resource for more information on implementing comprehensive impaired driving data systems in your area.
This step-by-step guide provides a structured framework that walks states through the benefits and implementation of an impaired driving tracking system. The guide also offers a checklist to assess states’ readiness and practical steps for implementation.
For information, please contact Jennifer Davidson Conlon, NHTSA Impaired Driving Division.
The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released its Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State report covering January through June 2025. Preliminary data shows that pedestrian deaths fell nearly 11% in the first half of 2025 from the year before – the largest annual decrease since they began tracking fatalities 15 years ago. Despite that progress, fatalities remain 2.5% above the 2019 level. Click here to read the full report and explore GHSA’s data.
With stricter criteria for crash avoidance system performance and back seat occupant protection, 63 vehicles have qualified for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top awards for 2026. To earn a TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, models must have front crash prevention systems as standard and receive a “good” rating on the moderate overlap front collision test. Notably, many winning vehicles have starting prices under $30,000, showing that safety doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Click here for more information.
A new study from the Highway Loss Data Institute shows that when multiple safety technologies are bundled together, their benefits are enhanced for greater overall performance. Researchers examined advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) offered on Mazda vehicles between 2015 and 2023 and found compounding crash reductions. Click here to read the details. At the Road to Zero annual meeting, you can hear directly from Mazda’s Director of Vehicle Safety Strategy Jennifer Morrison and IIHS’s Vice President for Vehicle Research David Kidd on a panel about vehicle safety technology.
Transportation professionals shape the systems people rely on every day. Advancing safety requires more than intention — it requires visible commitment and meaningful action. The ITE Safety Partner Pledge invites members and non-members alike to affirm safety as a core professional value and identify specific actions they will take to help prevent fatalities and serious injuries. By signing the pledge, you join a growing community of professionals committed to challenging the status quo and fostering a stronger culture of safety across our industry. The pledge is simple — but its collective impact can be powerful. Learn more and take the ITE Safety Pledge.
Innovative Funding Processes for Rural Road Safety
1 p.m. (ET) May 7
State, regional and local transportation agencies will present on innovative funding programs, alternative contracting methods, and flexibilities to distribute resources effectively and efficiently across state, tribal, and local-owned rural roads to maximize safety impact. Strategies will emphasize effective investments and program eligibilities, non-traditional funding sources and systemic data-driven investments. Register for this free training.
The movement to hold some of the most dangerous drivers accountable is accelerating. Stop Super Speeders legislation, led by Families for Safe Streets and supported by a growing national coalition, has been introduced in 16 states. This legislation would require the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices in the vehicles of extreme recidivist speeders.
Road to Zero partners, including the National Safety Council, MADD, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the FIA Foundation, the Vision Zero Network, America Walks, Responsibility.org and AAA, are helping advance this effort. Dozens of local and state advocacy organizations, many of which sponsor Families for Safe Streets chapters, are helping lead this work and highlighting the urgent need for action on dangerous speeding.
In recent weeks, FSS brought the issue directly to policymakers and the public through live technology demonstrations in California, Rhode Island and Illinois, showcasing how intelligent speed assistance can prevent excessive speeding by the most high-risk drivers. The Rhode Island event, in partnership with Providence Streets, received press coverage including Channel 10 and WPRI.
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