Road to Zero Monthly News

Dear Road to Zero Coalition Members

Julia Kite-Laidlaw

Summer is here, and chances are if you’re not already enjoying a much-needed vacation, then you’re thinking ahead to one. But while you’re still at work, remember that road safety never takes a break. Our Driving Concern is a program of the National Safety Council that provides employers with resources and tools to help reduce traffic crashes involving their employees. We know that what’s good for safety is good for business, and with transportation-related incidents being the leading cause of workplace death in the United States, investing in a culture of safety is essential for both worker wellbeing and the bottom line.

Aside from the terrible human cost of crashes that we all know too well, think about destroyed company property, higher insurance premiums and worker’s compensation claims. They add up to billions of dollars in preventable expenses that can threaten the viability of a business. Florida, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and West Virginia are partnering with ODC to bring evidence-based strategies to workplaces, reducing risky behaviors, preventing crashes and saving both money and lives. But regardless of where you live, the ODC Learning Portal is full of quick, useful and free resources you can access, whether you are an employer or a driver looking to brush up on your knowledge. I encourage you to take some time to review these micro-lessons and webinar recordings, no matter what summer has in store for you.

Our Driving Concern Learning Portal

Another essential investment that saves lives is post-crash care. This past National EMS Week, NHTSA hosted emergency medical services professionals for Save a Life Day and highlighted USDOT’s ongoing investment in prehospital whole blood. This intervention significantly improves the odds of survival for crash victims. You can’t have blood transfusions without blood donors, so visit the American Red Cross’ website to find where you can donate and make a difference.

Safe travels,
Julia Kite-Laidlaw
Senior Program Manager, Road to Zero

Child Passenger Safety State of Knowledge:
A Literature Review from NHTSA

NHTSA completed a systematic literature review of behavioral safety research on child passenger safety (CPS) published between 2000 and 2022. The review covers research on the non-use and misuse of child restraint systems and seat belts, as well as the factors associated with non-use and misuse. The review also describes research behavioral countermeasures for increasing child restraint use, including education, outreach, state legislation and enforcement, and programs for communities with lower child restraint systems use. Read the Traffic Tech Report. NHTSA also developed materials for SHSOs and other CPS practitioners to help with community engagement, which you can find here.

Webinars

Autonomous Vehicle Safety Framework
12 p.m. ET June 24
Join Families for Safe Streets for the public launch of Safety First, Always: An FSS Framework for Autonomous Vehicles. Learn how FSS’ #AVGainGuard Rule and policy recommendations can help ensure autonomous vehicles prioritize safety, accountability and the protection of all road users before widespread deployment. RSVP here.

Preparing a Strong Submission for Lifesavers 2027 
11 a.m. ET June 25
If you are interested in presenting at the Lifesavers Conference in 2027, this webinar will equip you with expert insights and strategies to align your proposals with the conference's core focus areas and session formats, significantly enhancing your chances of acceptance. Conference organizers encourage all roadway safety professionals to actively engage, share their unique knowledge and collaborate on innovative ideas that will advance traffic safety. Together, we can tackle the pressing challenges of roadway safety and contribute to a safer future for all. Register here.

IIHS Launches Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations

If you attended the Road to Zero annual meeting in May, you might remember hearing about the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new initiative for evaluating commercial vehicle safety. IIHS launched this program, starting with a focus on driver protection. Four of the first nine heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans to be assessed come with a suite of features that IIHS considers essential for driver protection — including standard front and side airbags, advanced seat belt technology and effective seat belt reminders.

IIHS Research: Vehicle Ads Promote Speed, Forget About Safety

A new IIHS study finds that advertisements emphasizing vehicle performance increased even as deaths linked to speeding and aggressive driving continued to mount. In an analysis of vehicle advertising from 2018, 2020 and 2022, speed was emphasized more than twice as often as safety. Ambiguous standards set by broadcasters allow for ads that depict and normalize risky driving behaviors.