IBTTA's Global Safety Week starts, targets distracted driving

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), the worldwide group for the owners and operators of toll facilities, this week launched its third annual “Be Safe Together,” a global road safety campaign targeting distracted driving.

The campaign, lasting through Friday, will include global messaging, digital promotion, and public and driver engagement. MTC's Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) affiliate and other IBTTA members are participating in the campaign, showcasing the tolling industry’s commitment to safety.

“Put Your Mind in Drive,” is the 2026 focus of IBTTA’s Be Safe Together campaign, emphasizing both individual responsibility and system-level solutions to improve safety.

MTC supports safety in several ways. MTC works with several different agencies to quickly and safely clear crashes, stalls, debris, spills and other incidents from Bay Area roads.

The Freeway Service Patrol is a joint operation between MTC, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol, a partnership known as SAFE. The Freeway Service Patrol is a fleet of roving tow trucks deployed on Bay Area freeways and highways during peak travel times to detect and clear crashes, remove dangerous debris from the roadway, or help stranded drivers by providing a gallon of gas, providing a jumpstart or refilling a radiator. 

In March, MTC’s Regional Network Management Committee approved a Bay Area Traffic Incident Management Micro-Grant Pilot Program, granting awards to six local agencies to pilot strategies to improve safety and the quick clearance of incidents in the Bay Area.

In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed MTC/ABAG-backed AB 645, which authorizes San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose to pilot speed camera safety technology. 

The pilot program is aligned with MTC’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which acknowledges that “reducing speed is a fundamental aspect” of safety. The SFMTA reported last month that speeding is down by 79% at speed safety camera locations.

Distracted driving is often framed as a phone problem. IBTTA’s new campaign recognizes a broader challenge: attention itself. At a time when road traffic crashes claim approximately 1.19 million lives each year worldwide and remain the leading cause of death for young people ages 5 to 29, the pledge calls for renewed focus on the human behaviors — including distraction and inattention — that contribute to preventable tragedies. This reflects a safe system mindset: human mistakes are inevitable, but systems, policies and operations can work together to reduce risk and prevent serious injuries and fatalities.

“Safety starts with attention,” said Ferzan Ahmed, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, first vice president of the IBTTA Board and co-chair of IBTTA’s Roadway Safety Steering Committee. “This pledge reflects both a commitment to safer choices and the role tolling can play in advancing road safety. U.S. tolling operators process 10 billion transactions a year, generate $25 billion in revenue, and communicate with millions of drivers every day. That scale gives our industry both an opportunity and a responsibility to help drive safer outcomes.”

The pledge invites participants to commit to actions such as:

• Staying focused and distraction-free behind the wheel 
• Supporting policies, technologies and operational practices that improve roadway safety 
• Sharing best practices and proven strategies across the transportation community 
• Advancing a culture where safety is a shared responsibility.