Together, we can help every loved one get home safe.

Through our Safer Roads Now initiative, we provide traffic safety education, recovery resources, and opportunities for communities, researchers, companies, and donors to work together toward safer roads for everyone.

Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, established in 2023.

Our founder’s story

A crash survivor who turned eight months of recovery into a foundation for safer roads.

In the midst of a routine Friday afternoon, fate played its hand, turning the mundane into a catalyst for transformation.

Yet, as the tapestry of my existence was being painstakingly restored over eight months, I found myself chasing the dreams that once skirted my reality. Five years on, despite vivid memories of the pain, the incident stands as a masterstroke in the grand painting of my life, teaching the power of trust, hope, and positivity in revealing the unexpected beauty hidden in life’s corners.

Preventable, but with lifelong consequences

Global and U.S. road safety data from WHO, NHTSA, CDC and peer reviewed research. Sources are listed below the numbers.

3,200

Deaths on the world’s roads every day

20–50M

People injured on the world’s roads each year

94^%

Of crashes have a driver error as the critical reason

Cause of death for ages 5–29

2 in 3

Road deaths are people ages 18 to 59

3×

Higher risk of dying in a crash for males than females

1 in 5

Crash survivors develop PTSD

6.18M

Police-reported crashes in the U.S. in 2024

2.8M

ER visits in the U.S. in 2023

586

TBI hospital stays per day in the U.S., all causes

37%

Of U.S. spinal cord injuries since 2015 came from vehicle crashes

Of GDP lost to crashes in most countries

Sources for these numbers

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2026), about 1.16 million people die in road crashes each year. That works out to about 3,200 deaths a day. WHO: Road traffic injuries
WHO (2026) reports that another 20 to 50 million people are injured in road crashes each year, and many are left with a disability. WHO: Road traffic injuries
A crash causation study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, 2015) found that the driver was the critical reason in about 94% of crashes. NHTSA notes that this is the last event before a crash. It is not the only cause and not a finding of fault. NHTSA: DOT HS 812 115
According to WHO (2026), road injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults ages 5 to 29. WHO: Road traffic injuries
WHO (2026) reports that two thirds of road deaths are people of working age, 18 to 59. WHO: Road traffic injuries
According to WHO (2026), males are about 3 times as likely as females to be killed in a road crash. WHO: Road traffic injuries
A review of 15 studies with 6,804 crash survivors (Lin and others, Medicine, 2018) found that about 22% developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That is about 1 in 5. Medicine: Lin et al. 2018
According to NHTSA (2026), police reported 6,180,241 crashes in the U.S. in 2024. NHTSA: DOT HS 813 791
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2026) reports more than 2.8 million emergency department visits for crash injuries in the U.S. in 2023. CDC: About Transportation Safety
The CDC (2026) reports about 214,110 hospital stays related to traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the U.S. in 2020, more than 586 a day. This count covers all causes. Falls cause nearly half, and motor vehicle crashes are another common cause. CDC: TBI Data
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC, 2026), vehicle crashes caused 37.1% of U.S. spinal cord injuries since 2015, more than any other cause. NSCISC: Facts and Figures 2026
WHO (2026) estimates that road crashes cost most countries 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP). WHO: Road traffic injuries

See all road safety statistics and sources →

Together for safety and healing

On the road, a life can change in a split second. Our work brings prevention, compassion, and science together around one purpose: protecting lives and helping people move forward when the unexpected happens.

Before the unexpected

Traffic safety education

Many serious roadway injuries begin with everyday decisions that may seem small in the moment. Checking a phone. Driving too fast for conditions. Getting behind the wheel while exhausted. Riding with someone who should not be driving. Staying silent when a situation feels unsafe. Safer Roads Now turns road safety awareness into practical action. Through family safe driving agreements, community education, workshops, and phone free driving programs, we help drivers, passengers, families, schools, and communities build safer habits before preventable harm occurs. The goal is not only to raise awareness about road safety. It is to give them practical tools they can actually use.

Through life’s unexpected turns

Recovery and family support

The impact of a serious traffic injury often continues long after the scene has cleared and physical wounds have begun to heal. People who were hurt may face anxiety, fear, changes in memory or concentration, emotional distress, brain fog, isolation, or difficulty returning to everyday activities. Families may suddenly face new caregiving responsibilities and struggle to understand changes they never expected. We help individuals and families find connection, practical guidance, appropriate resources, and greater understanding of the emotional and cognitive challenges that can follow roadway trauma. No one should have to navigate that road alone.

For every mile ahead

Brain injury and memory research

A traumatic brain injury can affect far more than physical health. It can change memory, concentration, independence, relationships, work, and a person’s connection to important parts of life. Yet many questions about brain injury and recovery remain unanswered. We raise funds to support neurological research aimed at improving how traumatic brain injuries are detected, understood, and treated. This includes research related to memory loss, cognitive recovery, hidden brain injuries, and the factors that may influence why one person recovers differently from another. Better science can create better possibilities for individuals and families affected by brain injury.

Together, further

Innovation and partnerships

Some road safety challenges require more than education alone. We are also exploring how responsible data analysis, lived experience, technology, research, and community partnerships can strengthen prevention and recovery. Our innovation work includes efforts to better understand roadway risk, bring lived experience into safety discussions, develop more engaging educational tools, and collaborate with organizations that can help promising ideas reach more people.

Take the safety pledge

One unsafe moment can change a life forever. One safer choice can help protect it. The Drive With Care Safety Pledge is a simple promise to stay focused, slow down, buckle up, drive sober, use safety technology responsibly and speak up when something feels unsafe. Take the pledge today to help protect yourself, the people you love and everyone who shares the road.

Getting involved

There is a role for everyone who shares the road.

Take the safety pledge

Share your story

If your life has been changed by a traffic accident, your story may help someone else feel seen, understood, and less alone. Whether you are a survivor, family member, caregiver, first responder, someone grieving the loss of a loved one, or a person who has made a safer choice behind the wheel, your experience can help others understand both the human impact of roadway trauma and the power of prevention. Your story can remind others why safer choices matter, from putting the phone away and wearing a seat belt to slowing down, speaking up as a passenger, and driving with care.

Become a community safety ambassador

Help make safer driving a visible part of everyday life in your community. As a Community Safety Ambassador, you can share practical safety messages, encourage phone free and responsible driving, distribute educational resources, and inspire others to make choices that protect themselves, their passengers, and everyone on the road. Every conversation, shared resource, and reminder to drive with care can help prevent harm and build a stronger culture of safety.

Volunteer with us

Lend your time, skills, and compassion to help make roads safer and support those affected by crashes. Whether you help with events, outreach, education, recovery support, or community engagement, your involvement can make a meaningful difference.

Sponsor a safety program

Help turn safety education into action. Your sponsorship can fund printed accident checklist cards, school and workplace workshops, public awareness campaigns, recovery and family resources, and brain injury education initiatives. Together, we can give more people the tools to make safer choices before a crash and respond wisely after one.

Our growing impacts (October 12, 2026 at 5:05:06 PM New York time)

49,191

people reached through our site.

1,942

people committed to safer choices on the road through our online pledge.

driving school partners sharing road safety materials with new drivers and parents.

partner organizations supporting safer roads and community awareness.

6 daily outreach contacts

We reach out to 2 driving schools, 2 state or local agencies and 2 businesses each day to expand road safety education, data and prevention partnerships.

Thousands of pages

safety resources placed in the hands of new and developing drivers.

Why this impact matters

Safer roads are built before an accident happens. Research shows new habits take about 66 days on average to become automatic. Repeated pledges, reminders and safety messages can help turn safer choices into everyday routines.

The need is urgent. In the U.S. alone, NHTSA reported 39,254 traffic deaths in 2024, and distracted drivers injured an estimated 324,819 people in 2023.

Safer behavior can save lives. Seat belts reduce fatal injury risk by 45% for front seat passenger car occupants, and a review of 138 studies involving about 97,000 participants found that driving safety education and awareness improved most targeted safety behaviors.

That is why every pledge, visitor and partner matters.

Safer choices can prevent harm.

Everyone has a role to play.

Take the Safety Pledge

Recent reach

See where our safety message is reaching people across the U.S. Each browser and IP address is counted only once within a 12 hour window.

Hartford, Connecticut, United States (IPv4 174.168.xxx.xxx)

Atlanta, Georgia, United States (IPv4 174.163.xxx.xxx)

Seattle, Washington, United States (IPv6 2a04:4e41:xxxx:xxxx)

Seattle, Washington, United States (IPv4 140.248.xxx.xxx)

Washington, District of Columbia, United States (IPv4 194.77.xxx.xxx)

Recent reach (International)

See where our safety message is reaching people outside the U.S. Each browser and IP address is counted only once within a 12 hour window.

Riga, Riga, Latvia (IPv4 83.99.xxx.xxx)

Machados, Pernambuco, Brazil (IPv4 177.75.xxx.xxx)

Nanuque, Minas Gerais, Brazil (IPv6 2804:17cc:xxxx:xxxx)

Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden (IPv4 193.235.xxx.xxx)

Jakarta, Java, Indonesia (IPv4 163.7.xxx.xxx)

Recent safety pledges

Recent pledge takers by state, country and partially masked IP information.

Connecticut, United States (IPv4 174.168.xxx.xxx)

Massachusetts, United States (IPv4 73.119.xxx.xxx)

New Jersey, United States (IPv4 73.119.xxx.xxx)

Virginia, United States (IPv4 3.93.xxx.xxx)

Support the Safer Roads Now initiative

Your gift funds traffic safety education, support for people in recovery, and research into the brain injuries that crashes leave behind.

Gifts to Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation, EIN 93-2485900, may be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Scan to donate to support Safer Roads Now initiative. Or click here.

Safe Driving Resource Center

Guides, self-checks and articles for drivers, parents of new drivers, and families recovering after a crash.

For every driver

For parents of new drivers

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For survivors and families

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My driving profile test

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Emotional and psychological consequences

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How a concussion can affect the brain

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About Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation

Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation was established in 2023 and became a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2024. We are dedicated to making roads safer, supporting people whose lives have been changed by a crash, and raising awareness about traumatic brain injury, memory loss, and long term emotional recovery.

Gifts to Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation, EIN 93-2485900, may be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, allowing supporters to make a meaningful impact while receiving appropriate charitable giving documentation for their records.

Honoring lives. Inspiring safer roads.

Every person has a story, a family, and a memory worth carrying forward.

Our tribute space offers a meaningful way to honor loved ones whose lives were lost or forever changed on the road. Through remembrance, families and communities can celebrate the people they love while helping inspire greater care, awareness, and responsibility behind the wheel.

Visit the tribute space

Together, we can help every loved one get home safe.

Our founder’s story

Preventable, but with lifelong consequences