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Julia Kite-Laidlaw, Senior Program ManagerThe good news is that my twins aced their math test. The bad news is that they’re in kindergarten. I thought we had a little more time before we had to even think about this.
I was good at math in school. The only varsity letter I ever earned was for math team — in case you’re wondering just how much of a nerd I was — but I was plagued by anxiety about the subject. Decades down the line, I still get the occasional nightmare of failing a test and suddenly all my future plans are in peril. I preferred the open-ended persuasion of writing or studying history with its mix of hard facts that could still be interpreted from different perspectives. Math had only one right answer, and so many ways to be wrong. I was pretty hard on myself, so the stakes always felt so high.
Now that I’m a parent, I spend a lot of time trying to prevent anxiety in my own children. I aim to find the right balance between educating my children about the reality of dangers on the roads without making them fear independence. I want them to feel empowered to have control over their safety, but it’s a struggle. As I recently explained on NPR’s Life Kit, my work has shown me countless examples of pedestrians who were doing everything right but still ended up getting killed. Unlike a math test, this is life or death. There is no mitigating a failure with extra credit or pleading for a re-take.
A half-hour conversation turned into just a few seconds of audio on NPR, but I tried to encourage people to advocate for a Safe System Approach. Parents at our elementary school scored a victory last year. They got permission to shut down the block in front of the school entrance every day for one hour before and at the end of the school day. I just wish a crash with a truck, resulting in a local child being hospitalized, didn’t have to be the lead-up to this action. The National Center for Safe Routes to School offers a toolbox of interventions and case studies from around the country so busy parents don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Later this month, the Safe Routes Partnership will hold its virtual summit for practitioners and partners.
As with so much related to parenting, I’ve found that you can start with elaborate plans and then eventually resign yourself to simply doing the best you can. It’s never going to seem like enough. Nowhere does the Safe System principle of, “The only acceptable number of deaths is zero,” resonate more instinctively than when it comes to children. Perhaps that is why schools have been such valuable partners in road safety. New York City’s wildly successful speed camera program began with a focus on school locations and hours of instruction.
More recently, our Road to Zero grantee, the University of Miami, led pop-up bike lane and traffic calming projects to enable active transportation to and from schools. Part of the value in projects such as these is that kids see what adults prioritize. We know they are watching and learning dysfunctional behavior when grown-ups drive aggressively and swear at each other in traffic. Likewise, when kids see that someone has taken time to make room for them to ride bikes, or to show that the space in front of their school doesn’t always belong to drivers, they receive a message about what adults value and what we want them to understand.
Fortunately, my kids love math. It’s thanks to their pre-school introducing them to a BBC children’s show called NumberBlocks, in which numbers are personified by affable characters who smash together and split apart to teach basic arithmetic. When they talk about 24 being a “super rectangle” with so many pairs of factors, or 16 being a “party square” made of other squares, there’s real joy on their faces. I want them to have the same attitude as pedestrians in their neighborhood and respect street traffic instead of fearing it. I need to let go of some of my own anxieties to get them there.
All the Best,
Julia Kite-Laidlaw
As fall arrives, Americans take routine safety steps like testing smoke alarms and replacing furnace filters to keep their loved ones safe. However, one critical, life-saving step often gets overlooked: checking for vehicle safety recalls.
Unrepaired recalls can lead to crashes, injuries or worse. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urges drivers to check for open vehicle safety recalls at least twice a year. It’s fast, free and could save lives.
This fall, take one small step that could save lives.
The Federal Highway Administration is accepting applications for the 2026 Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund until Jan. 15, 2026. The projects selected will focus on safety issues identified by federally recognized Indian tribes. Check eligibility guidelines and apply.
The Governors Highway Safety Association and Cambridge Mobile Telematics have released a joint report, A Data-Driven Action Plan for Safer Roads, which presents proactive safety strategies through AI-based analysis of telematics data. Policy recommendations include adopting predictive analytics, enacting and strengthening evidence-based laws, analyzing the performance of safety initiatives and adapting as necessary and focusing on accuracy and privacy protection.
In-Person: ITE Road Safety Audit Fundamentals Training Course: Nov. 18-19, 2025
The Road Safety Audit (RSA) Fundamentals Training Course is a two-day, in-person program that blends classroom instruction with hands-on application to give participants practical experience in conducting RSAs. Grounded in FHWA guidelines, the course emphasizes not just understanding RSA principles but applying them in real-world contexts. This applied learning approach ensures participants leave with both the knowledge and practical skills to conduct effective RSAs in their own communities. Individuals who successfully complete this training program will receive an ITE Road Safety Audit Training Program Certificate. This program is targeted towards transportation engineers, planners, safety professionals, consultants and agency staff involved in project development, design or safety review. Get more information and register.
The Safe Routes Partnership will host its virtual summit on Zoom Oct. 28-30. Presentations and breakout sessions will provide opportunities to network with Safe Routes practitioners and partners. Get more information and register.
On Dec. 9, join Road to Zero and three companies in the private sector who are utilizing video analytics, AI and computer vision to address longstanding challenges in road safety, like distracted and drowsy driving, driving while intoxicated and unsafe road design. Representatives from WingDriver, Gaize and Transoft Solutions will explain how their products help employers, public agencies and drivers everywhere prevent serious crashes. Register today.
Every year, tens of thousands of lives are lost on U.S. roads in crashes that could have been prevented with safer vehicles, roads, people and speeds, and better post-crash care.
On Nov. 16, we invite safety-minded organizations, advocates, survivors and public leaders to take action by hosting or joining a local event for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR). This year’s U.S. theme, Safe Speeds Save Lives, underscores the need to prioritize safety over speed. If your organization is hosting a WDoR event, register it here. If you’d like to support or attend an event nearby, explore the national event map.
Together, we can amplify the call for life-saving strategies that improve safety for everyone – whether walking, biking, taking transit or driving.
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