The Volusia-Flagler TPO Urges Passengers to Speak Up for Safety during National Passenger Safety Week
— Don’t worry about being a ‘back-seat driver’ when it comes to saving lives —
is joining with more than 70 traffic safety and advocacy groups nationwide to observe National Passenger Safety Week, January 19-26, 2026. This critical lifesaving initiative, led by We Save Lives and The National Road Safety Foundation, empowers passengers to take an active role in promoting safety and preventing crashes by speaking up when confronted with dangerous driving behaviors.
Reckless behavior, such as speeding, driving impaired, and distracted driving, continues to threaten lives across the nation and locally. Passengers have the power to prevent crashes and save lives by speaking up against unsafe driving practices.
Last year, 40,901 people died in crashes on American roads and highways. An estimated 3,308 people were killed in crashes that involved distracted drivers, and 289,310 were injured. There were 11,302 unbuckled passengers killed in crashes and 13,524 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths. Passengers accounted for 24 percent of passenger vehicle fatalities nationwide, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
“When people understand the dangers of driving impaired, distracted, aggressively, and drowsy, there’s a better chance they will speak up if they are passengers in a car being driven unsafely,” said Michelle Anderson, director of operations at The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit founded more than 60 years ago to promote safe driving behavior through education. “The National Passenger Safety Week campaign hopes to empower passengers about how they can save lives by calling out unsafe driving before crashes happen.”
“All passengers should voice their concerns,” says Candace Lightner, founder and president of We Save Lives and a dedicated advocate for crash prevention for 45 years. “We can prevent crashes just by speaking up, but we must stop worrying about offending the driver or being labeled a ‘back-seat driver.’ It’s essential to empower passengers to speak out, as their voices can make a significant difference in saving lives. The life you save could be your own.”
National Passenger Safety Week highlights the critical role passengers play in roadway safety and encourages them to challenge unsafe driving behaviors. The campaign’s Courage to Intervene Promise serves as a guiding pledge:
- Stop drivers from driving buzzed, drunk, or drugged.
- Refuse to ride with impaired drivers.
- Discourage drivers from using cell phones while driving.
- Intervene to prevent unsafe driving, prioritizing safety for everyone on the road.
More information, including tips for how to speak up, are at nationalpassengersafety.org. The site also has the downloadable Courage to Intervene Promise.
We Save Lives is an umbrella organization founded in 2014 by Candace Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The organization unites more than 50 highway safety advocates, law enforcement agencies, companies, local and state organizations, national and international entities, as well as victim and survivor groups—all dedicated to the mission of ending the devastation on our highways. Since their inception, We Save Lives has launched several impactful campaigns, including: #ButNotWhileDriving, Stop Marijuana Impaired Driving, Crash Not Accident and Reflections from Inside. Through their advocacy they remain committed to saving lives.
The National Road Safety Foundation, founded in 1962, produces free videos and teaching materials on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities, partnering nationally with youth advocacy groups including SADD, FCCLA, Impact Teen Drivers and Teens in the Driver Seat, and with major auto shows in Chicago and Detroit.