November 1, 2023

November Newsletter

Hello all,

I hope you had a safe and joyful Halloween. I was lucky enough to give out candy with family in Northwest D.C., and passed a handful of treats to two kids dressed as traffic cones. “Road safety for life!” they yelled as they walked down the steps. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the great loss that Maine suffered last week. As a Maine-based organization, and a proud Mainer myself, I want to express our deepest sympathies for the friends, families, and communities affected. Finding the right words at times like these is hard, but please know that I am sending love to every one of you, and I carry you in my heart. If you or anyone you know is in crisis, please do not hesitate to ask for help. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time to connect with a trained crisis counselor. For confidential support available 24/7 for everyone in the U.S., call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org, or visit https://go.usa.gov/xyxGa.

Now, for the updates.

First, we had two wonderful episodes of Let’s Talk with Sam Weinberg and Alison Collard de Beaufort. Sam, a co-founder and Executive Director of Path to Progress, is a prolific youth and digital organizer. Alison is a world renown road safety activist and founder-turned-leader of Vision Zero Youth Council, and often works with the United Nations, NOYS, and more. Check out our conversations here and here.

Second, November 8th marks the World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims. We honor this day to remember those who have passed, thank the emergency responders, support survivors and families, and advocate for better road safety policies around the globe. Not sure where to start? Take action with us here, and engage directly with the World Day of Remembrance here.

Third, I am honored to be joining Alison, Jacob Smith, Natalie Draisin, and Lakshmi Jimenez on a National Safety Council webinar on December 8th. The panel, one of a series called Countersteer, will focus on empowering youth through mobility safety. It is a privilege to be included in this distinguished group – make sure to learn more and register here!

Countersteer Webinar: Empowering Youth Through Mobility Safety

Lastly, a good read – check out this Forbes piece on the fatal gender discrimination in car safety testing that brings us all together. 

Warmly,
Maria