2024 Lifesavers Conference
Opening Plenary

Sunday April 7 8:30-10:15 am, Denver, CO
A moderated panel discussion on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going.

2024 NHTSA Public
Service Awards

Monday, April 8, 2024
Nearly a dozen traffic safety professionals and organizations celebrated for their outstanding achievements and commitment to our shared safety mission.

2024 Lifesavers Conference
Closing Plenary

Tuesday April 9 12:30-2:00 pm, Denver, CO
Personal take-aways from Lifesavers Conference and Bringing Cohesion to the Safe System Approach – A Panel Discussion

Did I Do That? How What You Do Influences Vehicle Design

Track: Vehicle Technology/Automated Driving
Sunday, April 7, 2024
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Description:
Did you know that your work and passion can lead to vehicle safety improvements? CPS advocates were instrumental in bringing about LATCH and the Kids Transportation Safety Act. Researchers rely on crash report and hospital data to identify roadway safety problems and evaluate countermeasures. Speakers will explain how your anecdotal experiences and data are used in vehicle safety design and countermeasure development.

The Role of Policy & Enforcement in Traffic Safety Outcomes

Track: Occupant Protection
Monday, April 8, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Description:
Policy and enforcement catalyzed several advances that contributed to a multi-decade decline in motor vehicle occupant mortality. Occupant mortality reached its lowest rate in 2019 before beginning to rise again during the COVID-19 era. Policy and enforcement complexities accompanying the reversal of these trends will be highlighted. Explore approaches, tools, and countermeasures for achieving equity in community safety while regaining lost ground in motor vehicle occupant mortality.

Now… Steps We Can Take to Get the “Good”

Track: Vehicle Technology/Automated Driving
Sunday, April 7, 2024
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Description:
Using FHWA grant funds, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute automated a Ford F-150 with various features and functionalities to demonstrate how these technologies could be applied to solve challenging interactions that Level 4 ADS vehicles might encounter with public safety professionals (law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, safety service patrol, etc.). Presenters will review 18 scenarios defined by the project partners. Through outreach, the project team investigated the context of the scenarios, feasibility of solutions, reactions to technologies, and conducted hands-on demonstrations. Outcomes of the demonstrations including feedback on the technical solutions and resulting data available to the public will be discussed.

Painting a Clearer Picture: How Technology Innovations Are Improving Distracted Driving Data & Advancing Safety

Track: Distracted Driving
Monday, April 8, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Description:
Distracted driving has historically been an underreported traffic safety issue on our roadways. However, advancements in technology, data modeling, and AI provide innovative solutions, such as telematics programs, to better identify and curb risky driving behaviors. This session hosted in-person at Lifesavers and live-streamed as a special episode of the Travelers Institute Wednesdays with Woodward® webinar series, will explore how technology helps assess crash rates caused by distraction, improve data collection, and promote safer driving habits.

Build a Bridge: Creative Approaches to Reducing Roadway Injuries & Fatalities in Tribal Communities

Track: Communications
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Description:
Witness real-world success to engage Tribal communities. Hear from Colorado and Wyoming Tribal representatives that have successfully partnered with their state DOT offices to put injury prevention and messaging strategies into action. Tribal members representing the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (CO) and the Wind River Reservation (WY) will join their DOT associates for a lively panel discussion addressing challenges, disparities, and solutions for reducing roadway injuries and fatalities on our nation’s Reservations. Learn about the opportunities and complexities facing Tribal nations in establishing, implementing, and enforcing public health law.

Vulnerable Road User Safety: Examining Issues & Solutions Track: Pedestrian, Bicyclist & Micromobilist Safety

Track: Pedestrian, Bicyclist & Micromobilist Safety
Monday, April 8, 2024
10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Description:
Deaths among pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable road users have been on the rise in the U.S. for more than a decade. More troubling is the fact that the burden of these deaths is not shared equally, with American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Black people being overrepresented in traffic deaths. Many potential causes for this increase in deaths include speeding, vehicle size and design, and roadway design, among others. Learn about road safety trends with a focus on vulnerable road users, unpacking national data and exploring the risks that most significantly impact people who are walking and bicycling. Presenters will also offer solutions to these problems and propose ways that communities can begin reversing these trends.

Innovative Programs to Improve Driver Behavior

Track: Communications
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Description:
What do you know about public participation and engagement strategies, communication campaigns, and curricula designed to change the behaviors of high-risk driver? Experience real-world examples of how four “under-resourced” communities in Phoenix, Detroit, and St. Louis implemented unique approaches to engage residents and partners in traffic safety education initiatives including video testimonials. Witness the power of partnerships with examples from the Idaho DOT, where crash data built a mathematics curriculum, and where the National Safety Council delivered programing for employees in Texas high-risk counties. EndDD.org will highlight effective distracted driving messages aimed at teen drivers, review the analysis of pre and post survey results, and demonstrate how these messages can be utilized in distracted driving programs.

Older Population Pedestrian Safety – Addressing Challenges & Meeting Their Needs

Track: Pedestrian, Bicyclist & Micromobilist Safety
Monday, April 8, 2024
2:15 PM – 3:45 PM

Description:
One of the major concerns as people age is their loss of mobility, especially if they can no longer drive and lack access to safe places to walk and bike. Streets and sidewalks, intersections, and many other parts of the built environment are not often designed to the needs of older populations. This panel will discuss current research about the safety and mobility needs of older populations, as well as recommendations for making changes to the built environment and safety programs that protect older pedestrians.

The Good, the Bad, & Everything in Between – Communities’ Experience with AVs

Track: Vehicle Technology/Automated Driving
Sunday, April 7, 2024
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Description:
While the general public cannot buy a self-driving vehicle today, highly automated vehicles are already on the roads. Learn about the benefits and challenges firsthand from communities where these vehicles are being tested and how manufacturers are responding to these communities’ experiences.

Town & Country – A Tale of Two Crashes

Track: Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
Monday, April 8, 2024
2:15 PM – 3:45 PM

Description:
When it comes to the prosecution of at-fault drivers in a crash, the quest for the truth begins with a thorough crash investigation. Fast response, meticulous inquiry, and effective communication are essential components in all crash cases. Delve into key elements and best practices in crash investigation, including awareness of distinctions between rural and urban jurisdictions and their unique challenges, commonalities and differences in crash investigations, and the complexities involved.