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Julia Kite-Laidlaw
During first semester finals in ninth grade, a tragedy struck my school when three boys went on a joyride, lost control on a snowy road and flipped their car into a retention pond. One dead, one seriously injured, one jailed: Three lives devastated, needlessly. I’m far from alone among Americans who can recall their teenage years being a time they had to confront the toll traffic crashes take on people whose lives are just beginning. Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of preventable death for teenagers in the United States.
This Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 18-24, let’s reframe how we think about these crashes: Under the Safe System Approach, we know that to err is human, and for teenagers, whose judgment and decision-making brains are far from mature, making mistakes is a part of life. But they can only learn from their mistakes if they survive their consequences. We know what makes crashes less lethal: Safer speeds, safer vehicles, safer roads and better post-crash care. How can we make teen drivers into safer people and complete the approach? High-quality education and training matter. National Safety Council offers free resources to parents and caregivers of the newest, youngest drivers through DriveItHOME™. By becoming more involved in the driver education process, they can help coach their teens to become safer drivers. Perhaps we can’t eliminate every crash, but by layering interventions, we can ensure fewer of them end in tragedies.
Our partners at NHTSA can also help you with teen driver safety initiatives. Find talking points, social media resources and more on NHTSA’s website.
Best,
Julia Kite-Laidlaw
Senior Program Manager, Road to Zero
Road to Zero is proud to present the projects of the 2025–2026 Community Traffic Safety Grant recipients. Join us for two webinars this November, where you can get an in-depth look at the work of our grantees directly from the project managers themselves.
On Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. ET, a focus on crash prevention and crash response demonstrates the ability of technology and evidence-based practices to save lives. The following experts will present on their projects:
• Dr. Scott Branney, Colorado Whole Blood Coalition, I-70 Corridor Prehospital Whole Blood Program
• National EMS Quality Alliance, Immersive Learning for Safer Roads, Virtual Reality Training in Post-crash Care for EMS Providers
• Dr. Hatim Sharif, University of Texas at San Antonio, A Geospatial Artificial Intelligence Tool for Proactive Crash Prevention
On Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. ET, the focus is on human protection by design. Under a Safe System Approach, safer vehicles and safer roads prevent crashes from proving deadly to passengers and pedestrians.
• Dr. Feng Zhu, Johns Hopkins University, Enhancing Safety and Injury Prevention in Highly Automated Vehicles Through Digital Twin Technology and AI-Driven Design
• Dr. Steven Lavrenz, Wayne State University, Bridging the Urban-Suburban Safety Gap: A Data-Driven Approach to Pedestrian Safety on Overlooked Suburban-Type Arterials in Detroit
• Dr. Jingwen Hu, University of Michigan, Exploring Vehicle Technologies to Address Pedestrian Injuries: Focusing on SUVs and Pickup Trucks
Join us for this free virtual event, presented by the National Safety Council in partnership with Captive Resources, to learn how telematics solutions can strengthen fleet safety, reduce risk and improve operational efficiency. Hear from industry experts on changing driver behavior, protecting data privacy and building a strong safety culture. With just two hours of content each day, you'll gain insights to help reduce crashes, increase driver accountability and build a safer, more efficient fleet – whether you manage 50 vehicles or 5,000.
Every two years, the League of American Bicyclists surveys and compiles data from all 50 states to create the Bicycle Friendly State ranking and report cards. Join them for a webinar on Oct. 20 to learn about this year’s rankings and what a brand-new survey has found, plus hear from states where progress is being made. Get more information.
The Governors Highway Safety Association, with support from General Motors, is offering two $100,000 grants to state highway safety offices to test new data-driven ways of tackling distracted and/or drowsy driving. Only state hightway safety offices can apply, but the grants give Road to Zero partners — such as nonprofits, tech companies and data providers — a chance to work with their state to advance an innovative, data-driven approach. Applications are due Nov. 13, and projects will run from January through August 2027. Examples of past GHSA-GM projects are on the GHSA website.
A new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study finds that police reports don’t capture the full extent of driver cellphone use before crashes. Data from safe driving apps that drivers voluntarily enroll in show that the involvement of cellphones is undercounted in police reports by a factor of at least seven. Read the latest from IIHS.
The 12th annual Vision Zero Cities conference in New York City will unite city officials, planners, engineers, advocates, scholars and industry leaders dedicated to achieving Vision Zero. Over three days, participants will share insights, explore innovative strategies and discover cutting-edge solutions for the challenges facing our cities. The conference includes keynotes, in-depth breakout sessions, immersive field tours and networking opportunities, all geared towards advancing better streets and public spaces. Get more information.
The National Transportation in Indian Country Conference® (NTICC) is the premier gathering of tribal transportation professionals in the United States. For one week each year, NTICC brings together decision-makers, technical experts and industry leaders to advance transportation infrastructure throughout Indian Country. This year’s conference will be held in Chandler, Arizona. Get more information.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, people around the world will gather to commemorate those lost in crashes and call for action to prevent future tragedies. This year's U.S. theme is Invest in Safety, Not Speed. To find an event near you or to learn more about this powerful day, visit wdor-usa.org.
ITE, IIHS and Vision Zero Network will host a webinar at 3 p.m. (ET) Nov. 18 featuring Austin, Cleveland and California. Building on the Safe System Success Stories, it will highlight how communities are putting Safe System principles into practice, including successes, lessons learned and approaches other communities can adapt. Watch the VZN webinars page for details coming soon.
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