The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is dedicated to saving lives and reducing injuries on the roads.  It is a not-for-profit, publicly-supported charitable educational and research organization. Since 1947, the Foundation has funded over 170 research projects designed to discover the causes of traffic crashes, prevent them, and minimize injuries when they do occur. We have used this research to develop dozens of focused, high-impact educational materials for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users.

The broad range of research and educational materials are used at many levels.

• Government agencies and legislators turn to the Foundation-sponsored research to guide them in creating policies that can save lives on our roads and highways.
• Automobile clubs, driving schools, corporations, and other organizations use educational materials to teach adults how to drive more responsibly.
• School districts use our materials to teach children about vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian safety and our teen-oriented materials are used in many high school driver education programs.

Funding Sources & Major Contributors

The Foundation's funds come from many sources. As an IRS-certified, tax-exempt, not-for-profit charitable organization (section 501(c)(3)), it is funded by voluntary, tax deductible contributions from motor clubs associated with the American Automobile Association and the Canadian Automobile Association, individual AAA club members, insurance companies, and other individuals or groups, often as a memorial to a family member or friend. Please view our list of major contributors.


Agenda-Setting Research

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety sponsors research that uncovers critical traffic safety problems and identifies the most effective solutions. Drawing on both in-house resources and leading traffic safety experts in North America, we conduct research that addresses specific questions and generates concrete recommendations for preventing crashes, injuries, and deaths on our roads.
The AAA Foundation’s research program focuses on four major research areas:

• Teen Driver Safety
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• Senior Safety and Mobility
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• Road Safety
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• Safety Culture
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Safer Roads Through Education
Research is only the beginning. The Foundation uses its research to create focused, high-impact educational materials for all age groups.

Knowledge is the first step to becoming a better driver. The Foundation's studies have shown that understanding the risks of driving and one's own limitations can prevent crashes.

The Foundation's materials seek to give drivers new skills, sharpen old ones, and change attitudes, as the first step to changing behaviors. Other materials teach pedestrian safety to minimize the risks of injury.

Designed to Fit Any Curriculum

Scores of school districts and adult driver training courses throughout the country use the Foundation's 55 videotapes. The videos and their accompanying written materials are designed with key input from researchers to ensure that the materials meet the needs of the public.

Each tape focuses on one concept or group of concepts, making it easier for educators to include the tapes in their curricula and for students to remember key points.

For example, our driver training video, "Getting Safely Past the Orange Barrels," is only 14 minutes long and focuses on one, high-risk area of driving: how to drive safely through road construction zones. The Foundation's award winning CD-ROM, called driver-ZED (Zero Error Driving) teaches teens how to scan the environment and hone critical risk management skills.