AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

What AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety does

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a 501(c)-style nonprofit research organization founded in 1947 and headquartered at 607 14th Street NW, Suite 701, Washington, DC. Operating as part of the broader AAA (American Automobile Association) network, the foundation conducts traffic safety research and public education across four focus areas: Driver Behavior and Performance, Emerging Technologies, Roadway Systems and Drivers, and Vulnerable Road Users. It serves the general public, policymakers, and specific constituencies such as older drivers, teen drivers, and roadside service personnel, with no commercial customers.

The foundation's core technical work relies on analysis of national crash and exposure databases operated by NHTSA, including the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS), and the General Estimates System (GES). It also operates proprietary longitudinal research programs, most notably the LongROAD study tracking older drivers over time, alongside field evaluations, surveys, and computer vision techniques applied to video data. Its research portfolio includes the annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, ADAS perceptions research, vehicle automation attitude tracking (2019-2025), street racing prevalence studies, Slow Down Move Over laws surveys, and analysis of fatal hit-and-run trends.

The foundation is funded through donations and charitable contributions, with financial information disclosed via IRS Form 990 filings. It does not sell products or services; all research publications, technical reports, and fact sheets are distributed free of charge through the foundation's website, the annual Safe Mobility Conference, email newsletters, and earned media coverage. Distribution channels are global in geographic scope despite a U.S.-focused research mandate.

Name

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Legal name

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Website

https://aaafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit research organization founded in 1947 that conducts traffic safety research across driver behavior, emerging vehicle technologies, roadway systems, and vulnerable road users, distributing findings free to the public, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traffic Safety Research

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (926120)

akta.pro primary industry

Road Safety Audits, Engineering & Data Analytics Services (RSA, Blackspot Analysis, Vision Zero Programs) (TLAJAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Traffic Enforcement & Road Safety (Highway Patrol, DUI, Collision Investigation) (BPAIAGAJ), School Zone & Child Safety Systems (School Zone Flashers, Crossing Control, Speed Enforcement) (TLAJAGAJ), Cyclist/Micromobility Safety Infrastructure (Protected Lanes, Bollards, Bike Signals, Conflict Mitigation) (TLAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Traffic safety research
• Highway safety studies
• Driver behavior research
• Roadway safety analysis
• Public safety education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations from the public and supporters to fund its research and education initiatives.
2. Form 990 Public Disclosure: The organization's financial information is available through IRS Form 990 filings, indicating reliance on public charitable donations and potentially foundation grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a nonprofit research foundation that conducts traffic safety research and disseminates findings through free publications, public education, and the annual Safe Mobility Conference. It produces research reports, longitudinal studies, and fact sheets across driver behavior, emerging vehicle technologies, roadway systems, and vulnerable road users, funded by donations and made freely available to the public.

Product overview

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a nonprofit research organization (founded 1947) focused on preventing traffic crashes and reducing injuries through rigorous research and public education. The organization does not offer commercial technology products but rather produces research reports and studies across four main focus areas: Driver Behavior & Performance, Emerging Technologies, Roadway Systems & Drivers, and Vulnerable Road Users. Key offerings include the LongROAD longitudinal study on older drivers, the annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, ADAS perceptions research, and various topic-specific research reports on issues such as teen drivers, pedestrian fatalities, street racing, and roadside responder safety. The research portfolio is distributed freely as public education materials rather than as commercial software or platform products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LongROAD Study A longitudinal research study on older drivers, tracking aging-related changes in driving behavior, capabilities, and technology use to understand factors affecting safe mobility. Targeted at older drivers, their families, clinicians, and aging-services professionals.
• 2025 Traffic Safety Culture Index Annual national survey indexing public attitudes, perceptions, and self-reported behaviors on traffic safety to provide year-over-year benchmarks for safety culture in the United States. Targeted at the general public, policymakers, and safety advocates.
• Perceptions of and Experiences with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Research examining U.S. driver perceptions, experiences, and usage of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), segmented across new vehicle purchasers, used vehicle purchasers, renters, and borrowers. Targeted at consumers, automakers, and technology developers.
• Trends in U.S. Drivers' Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Vehicle Automation, 2019–2025 Longitudinal tracking study of U.S. driver attitudes and perceptions of vehicle automation technologies across the 2019 to 2025 period. Targeted at policymakers, automotive industry stakeholders, and academic researchers.
• Street Racing: Prevalence, Participation, and Public Concern Research examining the prevalence of street racing, participation rates, and public concern regarding illegal street racing activity on public roads. Targeted at the general public, law enforcement, and policymakers.
• Slow Down, Move Over Laws: National Survey of Drivers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors, 2025 National survey assessing U.S. driver knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding Slow Down, Move Over laws that protect roadside workers and emergency responders. Targeted at policymakers, law enforcement, roadside service employers, and the public.
• Understanding the Increase in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes: Prevalences of Crashes, Injuries, and Deaths in the United States, 2017–2023 Statistical analysis of trends in fatal hit-and-run crashes in the United States from 2017 to 2023, examining prevalences, injuries, and deaths. Targeted at policymakers, law enforcement agencies, traffic safety advocates, and journalists.
• Safe Mobility Conference Annual conference aggregating the foundation's research outputs for traffic safety professionals, researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to discuss findings and initiatives. Targeted at the professional traffic safety community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Teen driver crashes decreased by 56% between 1994-2013
• +6 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Safety Council: NSC is a nonprofit safety advocate that produces research and public education on traffic and workplace safety, sharing the foundation's mission of reducing fatalities through research and advocacy.
• Governors Highway Safety Association: GHSA represents state highway safety offices and provides research and policy guidance on traffic safety programs, closely aligned with the foundation's focus on informing state-level road safety policy.
• Roadway Safety Foundation: Roadway Safety Foundation is a nonprofit that educates the public about roadway safety infrastructure and countermeasures, comparable in mission scope and nonprofit funding model to AAA Foundation.
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: IIHS is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization that conducts crash tests and research on vehicle safety, directly comparable to AAA Foundation's focus on evidence-based traffic safety research and policy advocacy.
• Transportation Research Board: TRB is a division of the National Academies that convenes researchers and publishes studies on transportation safety, infrastructure, and policy, comparable in research dissemination role and conference-based engagement.

Emerging players

• RAND Corporation: RAND conducts policy research including transportation safety studies, representing a comparable independent research organization that competes for similar grants and policy influence on traffic safety topics.
• Safe Kids Worldwide: Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit focused on child safety including child passenger and pedestrian safety, sharing the foundation's vulnerable road user focus area, particularly around teen driver research.

Broad incumbents

• AAA (American Automobile Association): AAA is the parent federation whose brand powers the foundation's reach and credibility; the federation conducts broader driver services and advocacy that complement the foundation's research mission.
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: NHTSA is the federal government agency that oversees vehicle safety standards and crash data (including FARS), making it a direct counterpart to the foundation's research and policy work, though operating with public funding at much larger scale.

Regional players

• European Transport Safety Council: ETSC is a Brussels-based nonprofit that produces research and policy recommendations on road safety in Europe, providing a comparable international research-and-advocacy model in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AAAFTS
• Facebookfacebook.com/AAAFTS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aaa-foundation-for-traffic-safety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety