Our Role in Achieving Zero

An exploration of the role individual responsibility plays within the Safe System approach, highlighting how personal actions contribute to overall traffic safety.

Johnathon Ehsani
Associate Professor,
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Bridging Research and Practice: Lessons Learned in Youth Traffic Safety

This presentation aims to emphasize lessons learned, offer recommendations, and provide resources for agencies seeking to engage youth within their state on traffic safety matters. Drawing upon almost two decades of program experience from the renowned Teens in the Driver Seat® initiative, these insights are designed to enhance traffic safety outreach efforts targeting youth aged 11-25.

Lisa Minjares-Kyle
Associate Research Scientist/Program Manager,
Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Ax Axmaker

Chief Knowledge Officer,
Be Crash Free

Ax has been working in motorcycle safety for over 30 years and has served as an Instructor, Instructor Trainer, state program director, and curriculum developer—both online and on-cycle. His company, Be Crash Free, has developed an online eLearning pre-course program to expedite and improve instructor training for schools and state programs across the country.

Brett Robinson

President,
Highway Safety Services, LLC

Mr. Brett Robinson has been involved in the highway traffic safety arena for over 30 years. He is the Executive Director of the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA) and the Co-founder and President for Highway Safety Services, LLC (HSS) located in Indiana, PA, a leading company for consulting services in highway traffic safety.

Mr. Robinson also serves as the Secretariat for the Association of National Stakeholders in Traffic Safety Education (ANSTSE) and the Executive Director for the State Motorcycle Safety Association (SMSA).

Chenxi Liu

Assistant Professor,
University of Utah

Chenxi Dylan Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tsinghua University (2017) and his master’s (2020) and PhD (2024) in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington. His research spans AI, connected/autonomous systems, and transportation engineering, where he develops situation-aware, customized machine intelligence for transportation safety, equity, and resilience. His work has been recognized by TRB, IEEE, ASCE, USDOT, and AASHTO, and he is an active member of several ASCE and TRB committees.

Jacqueline A. Milani

MS MBA
Highway Safety Specialist, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

MBA University of Maryland University College, 2016
M.S. Project Management University of Maryland University College, 2014

Jackie Milani is a Senior Highway Safety Specialist in the Enforcement and Justice Services Division at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Ms. Milani is responsible for providing national leadership in developing and improving highway safety programs involving driver licensing, driver education, autonomous vehicles, and enforcement. To complete this work, Ms. Milani relies on collaborations internally with NHTSA colleagues and with local, state, and other national partners.

Jackie has worked on public health and traffic safety related initiatives for more than 30 years and is honored to be here with all of you today.

Jeffrey Wilson

NREMT-P, Utah FAN,
Utah EMSC, Utah Gold Cross Ambulance, and Salt Lake Community College

Jeff Wilson is the father of John Wilson who is an 8-year-old non-verbal autistic child. Jeff has been in EMS for over 15 years. With experiences with John, Jeff has developed a management plan for EMS, Police, Fire, and Hospital personnel to better handle those with Autism. They created an autism kit for these professionals. Over 1,000 kits have been distributed across Utah. Several states and Australia have copied the autism kits and the training. Jeff received two awards in 2024: The EMS-Children’s Advocate of the Year Award, and The Spirit of Service Award (provided by Utah Governor Cox). The Wilson family is here to serve you.

Kristi Metzger

Director,
NJ-SHO Center for Integrated Data

Dr. Kristi Metzger leads the development of the NJ-SHO Center for Integrated Data, including establishing traffic safety and injury metrics for the NJ-SHO Data Dashboard and creating a website that is useful in helping to reduce transportation-related injuries and deaths in New Jersey. She is an epidemiologist with over 20 years of experience in analyses of public health data with a focus on large administrative datasets.

Laura D. Chace

President & CEO,
ITS America

Laura Chace was named President and CEO of ITS America in August 2021. Her focus is to promote policies that advance the development and safe deployment of intelligent transportation technologies throughout the United States to save lives and reduce crashes on U.S. roadways, reduce congestion, minimize transportation’s carbon footprint, and provide seamless mobility and transportation choices for all Americans.

Pam Shadel Fischer

Senior Director of External Engagement,
Governors Highway Safety Association

Pam Shadel Fischer is recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on behavioral traffic safety. Her passion for this work coupled with a proven track record for engaging others has helped her successfully develop and implement safety initiatives across the U.S. and internationally. From teen driving and pedestrian safety to distraction and impairment, Pam believes everyone must play a role in improving safety on our roadways. Her nearly four decades career has included leadership roles with AAA, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, her own consulting firm and currently with the Governors Highway Safety Association. She has authored more than a dozen national traffic safety reports and contributed to many others and is the co-author of Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teens Through the Dangers of Driving. Pam is a native of Hershey, PA and has called Northwest New Jersey her home for many years.

Living in the Face of Death

This session will address how autopsy findings—especially from traffic fatalities—inform public health efforts, how professionals in high-trauma fields can cope with the emotional toll of their work, and strategies for staying resilient and finding meaning in difficult yet vital careers.

Brandon Callor
Morgue Operations Manager,
Office of the Medical Examiner

Lessons From Those Who Lived It

One moment on the road can change everything. In this powerful panel, hear firsthand from those who have experienced the devastating impact of a crash. Chelsie Laycock shares the painful reality of her son’s role in a fatal crash and his decision to speak out from prison. Seantae Jackson, a survivor of a crash that critically injured her family and best friend, now advocates for crash victims through the Sandal Blue Foundation. Sabrina Wilhite, a former Zero Fatalities team member, was hit by a drunk driver in 2024, forever altering her life. Their stories serve as a sobering reminder of the lasting consequences of roadway decisions.

Johnathon P. Ehsani

Associate Professor,
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Johnathon Ehsani, PhD, MPH, uses policy and behavioral research to prevent motor vehicle crashes and advance the health promoting aspects of transportation.

Lisa Minjares-Kyle

Associate Research Scientist/Program Manager,
Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Lisa Minjares-Kyle, M.S., RSP1, is the Program Manager of the Youth Transportation Safety Program at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). She brings with her over 15 years of experience in the traffic safety field. Within the YTS program, she oversees the program team, projects, and mission. Her areas of interest and experience include the application of health prevention frameworks, Safe System Approach and Traffic Safety Culture, across youth transportation safety topics. Her primary area of expertise includes research and analysis of transportation issues affecting young drivers, development of educational outreach materials, peer-to-peer outreach, and data analysis.

Brandon Callor

Morgue Operations Manager,
Office of the Medical Examiner

Brandon Callor is a certified public manager and previously served as President of the Utah Society of Certified Public Managers. He works for the Office of the Medical Examiner and has been a program manager for 24 years. He has worked with researchers at the University of Utah in the area of suicide prevention and has co-authored many scientific journal articles about the characteristics and behaviors associated with suicide including genetics. Mr. Callor has specialized in theories of applied positive psychology through University of Pennsylvania and earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Oklahoma. He currently serves as president of the board of directors for Utah Chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention with the goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker and continuing his work in the field of suicide prevention research, outreach, and advocacy.