AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety firmographics
Firmographics- 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
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety industry classification
Industry- 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
Where AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety social profiles
Digital presenceAAA Foundation for Traffic Safety financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&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
What does AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety do?
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.
Is AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety a public or private company?
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety founded?
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety was founded in 1947. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety based?
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are form 990 Public Disclosure.
Who are AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Safety Council, Governors Highway Safety Association, Roadway Safety Foundation, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Transportation Research Board. Emerging players are RAND Corporation and Safe Kids Worldwide. Broad incumbents are AAA (American Automobile Association) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. European Transport Safety Council is listed as a regional player.
Does AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety have an API?
No public API is recorded for AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
What industry is AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in?
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's product category is Traffic Safety Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAJAGAM, Road Safety Audits, Engineering & Data Analytics Services (RSA, Blackspot Analysis, Vision Zero Programs), with a secondary code of BPAIAGAJ, Traffic Enforcement & Road Safety (Highway Patrol, DUI, Collision Investigation). Its NAICS code is 922.