Governors Highway Safety Association
The States' Voice on Highway Safety

General Motors

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Partner Initiatives Alaska Washington
November 30, 2024

Since 2024, GHSA and General Motors (GM) have joined forces to tackle one of the most persistent and preventable dangers on U.S. roads, distracted driving. Through grant funding, research and targeted campaigns, this partnership equips State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and their partners with the tools and resources needed to change driver behavior and save lives.

2026 State Grants

Since 2024, GHSA and GM have directed $785,000 in grant funding to states developing innovative, data-driven approaches to distracted driving prevention. This investment has enabled states to pilot promising programs, engage communities and build lasting enforcement and education infrastructure.

In 2026, $200,000 in grants were awarded to two State Highway Safety Offices:

  • The Alaska Highway Safety Office, in partnership with the Center for Safe Alaskans, is implementing a program targeting young drivers that combines the Ready Assess simulated driving tool with mindfulness-based training. The initiative will raise awareness of how mindfulness can support safer driving through a statewide media campaign, school and community outreach and personalized driving feedback. Caregivers will also receive tools to help reinforce safe driving habits during supervised practice.
  • The Washington Traffic Safety Commission, in partnership with Cambridge Mobile Telematics, is supporting law enforcement agencies’ use of StreetVision, a telematics-based tool that identifies areas with elevated risk of distraction. The project will help agencies better plan and adjust enforcement activities by incorporating data driven insights into patrol decisions. Training and support will be provided to licensed users and lessons learned will inform future distracted driving enforcement efforts in the state.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Each April, GHSA leads a national campaign to raise awareness about distracted driving and promote safer behaviors. In 2026, GHSA implemented a multi-faceted outreach effort designed to engage new audiences, elevate youth voices, and deliver impactful, action-oriented messaging.

Engaging Youth Journalists

  • In 2026, GHSA continued its partnership with Youthcast Media Group (YMG), a nonprofit that trains high school and college students from underserved communities—more than 95% of whom are youth of color—to report on critical issues such as traffic safety.
  • For the second consecutive year, student journalists created compelling, youth-driven content highlighting the risks and real-life impacts of distracted driving. These stories combined data with powerful personal narratives from victims and their families, helping the message resonate with younger audiences.
  • Watch the reel created by Washington, D.C. high school student Derrick Deal Jr. The reel highlights the danger of distracted driving and encourages drivers to silence their phones and keep them out of reach to stay focused on the road and prioritize safety, reaching 1,900 engagements.
  • To extend this impact, the content was compiled into a digital toolkit with ready-to-use social media assets. This resource was shared with State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) to help them connect with drivers ages 16 to 24.
Top photo of Derrick Deal Jr., YMG Student Journalist behind the wheel of a car, with a photo of a hand looking a cell phone while driving below it

Expanding Reach Through Influencers

Image that reads Distracted Driving Awareness Month - click it to be taken to the LinkedIn page with a video

Building on the success of 2025, GHSA again partnered with social media influencers to deliver distracted driving prevention messages to broader audiences in relatable and engaging ways.

A key collaboration featured influencer family LaTroy and Nicole Tillery, who have more than 1.6 million followers across platforms. Their campaign posts encouraged followers to never drive distracted and generated millions of impressions, along with thousands of views and engagements, demonstrating strong audience interest, resonance with the message, and increased awareness of distracted driving risks.

Past Initiatives

  • 2025: GHSA recruited social media influencers and professional and college athletes to spread the distraction-free message, including NASCAR driver Ross Chastain; Adrian Wood, Ph.D., an author and mother of four; Adria Thompson, a dementia care educator; and three West Virginia University athletes and coaches.
  • 2024: GHSA members and staff shared videos explaining why they choose to drive distraction-free and encouraged others to do the same. The peer-to-peer campaign garnered support from dozens of members and partner organizations including FCCLA, SADD, the National Safety Council and The Wise Drive.
  • 2023: GHSA and GM encouraged drivers to build a lifelong habit of putting their phones away behind the wheel, drawing on research showing it takes as little as 30 days of consistent behavior to form a lasting routine.

Research and Resources

In 2026, GHSA published Wake Up Call! Report Update: Understanding Drowsy Driving and What States Can Do, a comprehensive research report shining a spotlight on this deadly but preventable behavior and providing states with practical, action-oriented steps to eliminate it.

A Partnership Built on Purpose

The collaboration between GHSA and GM reflects a shared commitment to making roads safer for everyone. By combining GM's resources and reach with GHSA's expertise and state-level networks, this partnership is translating research into real-world impact; one community, one campaign and one driver at a time.

Partner

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Related Issues

Distracted Driving

Related Resources

GHSA Reports
Term raw: GHSA Reports | Slug: ghsa-reports
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Term raw: Toolkits | Slug: toolkits
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