
Be a backseat driver
A staggering 46,000 people were killed on United States roadways in 2023. During National Passenger Safety Week, January 20 – 27, 2025, passengers are empowered to speak up when their lives or those of others are in danger from reckless drivers. We’ve all had moments, as passengers, when we felt uneasy with how someone was behaving behind the wheel. Perhaps the driver had been drinking, was speeding, or wasn’t paying attention because they were on their electronic device. Or perhaps we’ve seen friends or family about to drive when we knew they weren’t in any shape to do so, putting themselves and others at risk. It can be tough to speak up in those situations, especially when we’re unsure how to do it or how the driver will react. It takes courage, especially in social situations where others are watching. Passengers can make a difference in reducing the number of devastating traffic crashes by speaking up while in a vehicle that is being driven unsafely. That’s the message from traffic safety organizations during National Passenger Safety Week. National Passenger Safety Week is recognized annually by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during the last week of January. Supporters believe that “one courageous voice can change one deadly choice.” We Save Lives and The National Road Safety Foundation, along with sixty other organizations, launched National Passenger Safety Week three years ago, and the message to passengers is clear, “SPEAK UP!”
The National Passenger Safety Week campaign hopes to empower passengers about how they can save lives by calling out unsafe driving before crashes happen. NPSW’s website at nationalpassengersafety.org includes the Courage to Intervene Promise, which states: “I will stop my friends and loved ones from driving drugged, drunk, or distracted whenever possible. I will not ride with anyone who is drugged, drunk or distracted. I will encourage others to do the same. I will have the courage to intervene. Because I care…” Your voice matters, and by intervening for safer driving practices, you contribute significantly to reducing tragic incidents on our roads. Be a backseat driver. Thank you.
Mashell Bjorge, Executive Director Safe Communities of Wright County