IBTTA Releases Press Statement on launching 3rd Annual Global Road Safety Campaign and Investing $25,000 to Combat Distracted Driving
This below statement was originally released as a press release. View or download the full release in our Press Releases section. For more information, contact Tanya Sheres.
As part of its 2026 Be Safe Together campaign and Global Road Safety Week, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is expanding its efforts to address one of today's most persistent roadway safety challenges through a new partnership with EndDD.org (End Distracted Driving) and a $25,000 investment in distracted-driving education and prevention.
Now in its third year, Be Safe Together has evolved into a global platform for collaboration, education and action on roadway safety. The 2026 campaign, themed Put Your Mind in Drive, will focus on distracted driving and feature a global safety pledge, industry case studies, educational outreach and coordinated programming during Global Road Safety Week, June 22–26. While the campaign's annual theme changes to address emerging safety priorities, its mission remains the same: uniting the transportation community and the public around behaviors that help save lives.
Through this partnership, EndDD.org and IBTTA will expand age-appropriate education for middle and high school students during the 2026–27 school year, equipping member organizations to work directly with local schools and communities where early driving behaviors are formed and reinforced.
“As operators, we see firsthand how complex and serious this challenge is on our roadways and in the communities we serve,” said Joi Taylor Dean, president of IBTTA and chief executive officer of the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “Addressing distracted driving takes coordination across the entire system. Through Be Safe Together, our industry is stepping up by working with partners across enforcement, education and technology, while engaging our communities to help change behaviors and make every trip safer.”
Through its work with EndDD.org, IBTTA is expanding access to research-based programs that influence behavior and empower young drivers, helping turn awareness into action at a critical moment when lifelong habits are formed.
“Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to change behavior and prevent crashes,” said Joel Feldman, founder of EndDD.org. “Our programs go beyond awareness. They equip students to speak up and make safer choices. With IBTTA and its members, we can expand our reach into more communities.”
Global Road Safety Week
IBTTA's Be Safe Together campaign will be activated worldwide during its third annual Global Road Safety Week, a coordinated effort to raise awareness and accelerate real-world solutions across the transportation community.
The week includes a global kickoff webinar, "Distracted Driving: From Policy to Practice to Prevention," on June 22 at 11 a.m. ET, featuring perspectives from global, federal and state transportation leaders, along with representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, Google, PIARC, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, EndDD.org, Italy's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, GFT and other safety partners.
Throughout the week, IBTTA and its members will share daily content and insights that highlight both the scale of the distracted driving challenge and the actions being taken to address it.
At the center of the week is the Be Safe Together Safety Pledge, a global call to action inviting drivers and organizations to commit to safer behaviors behind the wheel. Built around this year's theme, "Put Your Mind in Drive," the pledge encourages participants to stay focused, eliminate distractions, speak up and lead by example to help create a culture of safety on every trip.
The week will also feature the release of "Tolling on the Front Lines of Safety," showcasing real-world case studies from across the industry that highlight how tolling agencies are actively deploying solutions, strengthening operations and advancing proven strategies that are saving lives on roadways today.
Advancing Roadway Safety
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1.19 million lives are lost on roadways each year worldwide. IBTTA's Be Safe Together campaign reflects the tolling industry's growing role not just in operating infrastructure, but in advancing safety outcomes for the communities it serves.
"Awareness is important, but reducing fatalities requires action," said Ferzan Ahmed, IBTTA's first vice president, chair of the association's Roadway Safety Steering Committee and executive director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. "Through Be Safe Together, our members are sharing proven strategies, engaging their communities and encouraging safer choices behind the wheel that can help save lives."
For more information, to take the pledge or access campaign resources, visit BeSafeTogether.org.