Aaa Foundation for Traffic Safety

What it reported doing in 2025

Research: in 2025, aaa foundation for traffic safety (the foundation) published 17 new traffic safety reports, initiated 7 new traffic safety research contracts/agreements, began 6 in-house studies, and continued work on 21 traffic safety research projects initiated in previous years.the foundation funded, managed, and/or performed research in 2025, detailed in the following reports (in chronological order by date of publication): pedestrian fatalities on urban arterial roads at night: an in-depth crash analysis and three case studies; development and validation of messaging to deter cannabis-impaired driving; examination of cannabis users' perceptions and self-reported behaviors to inform messaging to deter impaired driving; alternative transportation and life satisfaction among older drivers: aaa longroad study; a randomized field trial of smartphone-based feedback designed to encourage safe driving: comparing focused and self-chosen goals to standard usage-based insurance messaging; roadside assistance vehicle lighting: review of scientific research and state regulations; increasing the use of smartphone-limiting technology to combat distracted driving; effects of training content and approach on drivers' understanding of and performance with advanced driver assistance systems; driving with partial driving automation systems: developing effective training that drivers will use; aggressive driving and road rage; examining traffic safety across communities: a national perspective and case studies in Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina, and Oregon; social and infrastructure factors shaping road safety: a multi-level analysis of crashes in Ohio, Texas, and Washington; slow down, move over laws: investigating factors influencing drivers' behavior and compliance; summary of longroad research on older drivers from the aaa foundation for traffic safety: 2017-2025; the safety impact of road debris: updated prevalences of crashes, injuries, and deaths in the united states, 2018-2023; 2024 traffic safety culture index; and american driving survey: 2024.foundation research findings are used to support national public awareness campaigns, such as national teen driver safety week and drowsy driving prevention week. They are also used to develop educational materials, and support advocacy efforts of aaa and other traffic safety advocacy organizations. Foundation research findings on pedestrian safety have been cited in numerous state and local transportation department plans, outlining needed safety improvements. All these efforts are ultimately designed to influence and affect real world improvements in traffic safety. Foundation research has also supported our numerous partnerships in the transportation and safety communities. The foundation co-sponsored a research project with Virginia tech transportation institute to assess the prevalences of task engagement and drowsiness in drivers when using certain automated systems compared to situations where the same systems are available but not active. This work also examined the role of distraction and drowsiness in crashes and near-crash situations.finally, in 2025, the foundation initiated research projects which include the following goals: examining the range of american's attitudes towards speeding and related countermeasures; investigating the prevalence and impact of various distracted driving behaviors; understanding how individual, interpersonal, social, and contextual factors influence the decision to drive while impaired; creating and implementing a roadside incident reporting system; updating and extending foundation's previous research on wrong-way crashes; providing updated statistics on fatal hit-and-run crashes; examining the nature of driving done by novice driving; measuring the prevalence of public attitudes towards in-vehicle drunk driving technology; assessing the awareness of and attitudes toward slow down, move over laws; assessing the prevalence of secondary task engage

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 85%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $159.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 5.7%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.4; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 21.6%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -0.9% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings