The Road to Zero Coalition hosted a meeting today with 130 people (100 more online) participating in lively discussions about promising actions to take us down the Road to Zero crash deaths and serious injuries.

I especially appreciated the opening remarks by Debbie Hersman, National Safety Council CEO & President, including inspiring thoughts from the Kennedy Presidential Library and reminding us that we are not doing this because it is easy but because it is hard (paraphrase). And she went on to say that hard is being hit by a car. Hard is being extricated from a vehicle. Hard is burying your daughters. . .

Debbie also said, “Safety delayed is safety denied.” Well said, for every safety measure which gets waylaid or delayed for whatever reason means that more people will die who might have been saved.

Debbie also mentioned that, from the time the Road to Zero Coalition was launched back in October until this day, 7,000 more people died on the roads in the U.S.

"All of this will not be finished even perhaps in our lifetime… But let us begin." -Pres. JFK #RoadtoZero #TrafficSafeYouth pic.twitter.com/kSXOS3mKlu

— NOYS (@NOYSnews) December 15, 2016

EMS Workgroup asserts need for better interoperability b/w emergency agencies to enable cohesive response to roadway emergencies #RoadToZero pic.twitter.com/aR9qW2MXOL

— Road to Zero (@RoadToZeroUS) December 15, 2016

Thank you for your support @NHTSAgov pic.twitter.com/PYfOR0t6g0

— Road to Zero (@RoadToZeroUS) December 15, 2016

Thank you @leahbike for introducing our mission statement. Full version will be published on the website. Join us. #RoadToZero pic.twitter.com/Hxx32sZQ09

— Road to Zero (@RoadToZeroUS) December 15, 2016

@ITEhq was pleased to be part of today's Road to Zero Coalition meeting. Lots of energy and ideas in the room. pic.twitter.com/k0vgoFQ1uW

— Jeff Paniati (@JeffPaniatiITE) December 15, 2016

"Success means moving beyond a business as usual approach" – @leahbike @Visionzeronet @RoadToZeroUS

— NC Vision Zero (@NCVisionZero) December 15, 2016

It was encouraging to see so much attention directed to solving the problem of vehicle violence. I even got to promote our Vision Zero Goals, including a White House Vision Zero Task Force. A few people might have even noted that I did it with a bit of passion!

Delivery of a Vision Zero Petition to Washington; What I have learned in our battle for safer roads