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Introduction
Funding Sources & Major Contributors
Research
2009-10 Annual Report
Centers of Excellence Brochure (PDF: 2 MB)
"Owner's Manual" (PDF: 2 MB)
AAA Foundation CEO Bio
Although the Foundation has historically been devoted exclusively to the pursuit of improved traffic safety, working to develop a stronger safety culture at the societal level represents a new path for the Foundation and the traffic safety community at large. Presently, key stakeholders, drivers, and society in general remain complacent to the annual toll of motor vehicle crashes on American society: more than 40,000 deaths, 3 million injuries, and an economic cost of $230 billion. Many experts believe this toll could be reduced substantially, perhaps by as much as 50 percent, if only the United States had the collective will to implement a handful of proven effective countermeasures. We need a stronger traffic safety culture.
What is a safety culture? It is not merely a result of everybody deciding to try to drive safely, nor is it just highway authorities putting up guardrails, nor is it legislators just passing laws—a safety culture entails a network of interdependent relationships in which all members value safety, do their part, and demand that all of the other members do their parts as well.
Our safety culture research program focuses on finding and implementing ways to motivate legislators, transportation professionals, drivers, and all citizens to truly value traffic safety. Although our safety culture research program is truly only in its beginnings, our groundbreaking report—Safety Culture in the United States: The Journey Forward—and our program of periodic surveys of the attitudes of the American public—our Safety Culture Index—we have ignited a national dialogue on traffic safety and safety culture, which we hope will continue and expand as we continue and expand our research rprogram.
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