State Highway Safety Showcases

Through a grant from GHSA and General Motors, the District of Columbia Highway Safety Office implemented a three-pronged program to address the issue of distracted driving in the nation’s capital.

Washington State reached a record number of traffic fatalities in 2022, with 750 people killed. Distracted driving was responsible for 13% of those deaths. That’s nearly 100 people statewide killed in one year because someone made the unsafe, dangerous decision to not focus on the road.

Getting to zero deaths on our nation’s roadways requires the participation of a diverse group of stakeholders. North Carolina’s Vision Zero Community Collaborative brings together diverse stakeholders to create safer streets through innovative, multi-sector partnerships.

Building on the success of their previous holiday ride-share programs, MDOT MVA was one of two State Highway Safety Offices to receive a grant from GHSA, ride-hailing company Lyft, and Responsibility.org to prevent impaired driving during the 2023 holiday season. The "Be the Make a Plan Driver" campaign was further amplified on social media and online, promoting discounted rides for the holiday season.

The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GAGOHS) was crucial in promoting safe transportation alternatives and preventing impaired driving during the 2023 Holiday season. GAGOHS, as one of two State Highway Safety Offices to receive a grant from GHSA, ride-hailing company Lyft, and Responsibility.org, utilized the funding to encourage responsible choices and discourage driving after consuming alcohol. This was achieved by promoting Lyft ride credits via advertisements as part of the state’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” driving campaign.

Rochester, Minnesota is located in Olmsted County and is the third-largest city in the state. Over the past decade, approximately 40 pedestrians and bicyclists have been hit by drivers every year in Rochester. Although these incidents account for only 2.3% of all crashes in the city, they result in 30% of all fatal injuries.

Dayton, Kentucky is a small and historic community on the Ohio River, across from Cincinnati. Residents often walk and bike for transportation. However, this is risky, as crashes can happen due to inadequate infrastructure and misinformation about road safety.

The Colorado Office of Transportation Safety partnered with Adelante Community Development, a non-profit organization focused on serving Latino families and entrepreneurs, to recruit and train teens as part of the Traffic Safety Youth Advisory Board. These teens were trained to be ambassadors and educated their peers in Commerce City about pedestrian, bicycle and other safe mobility practices. 

Between 2016 and 2020, more than 2,000 Oklahomans lost their lives on rural roads. Teen drivers in the state have a higher incidence of crashes than any other age group. As a result, the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) partnered with several organizations to implement an evidence-based, statewide teen driver safety education program that also included enforcement.

Teen drivers 16-20 years of age in New York State account for a disproportionate number of crashes each year. Every day, approximately ten people are killed or injured in car crashes involving a teen driver. The leading causes of these crashes are excessive speed, distraction and driver inexperience.