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On the Road with ASIRT ______________________Fall 2025
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A Dream That Can Become Reality
Dear Friends,
It is heartening to be able to celebrate good news in the road safety world with you. Recently, Helsinki joined more than 1,200 cities across 26 countries that have achieved the extraordinary milestone of zero road deaths in a single year.
This is not just a statistic — it is a reminder that lives can be saved, that families can be spared heartbreak, and that safer streets are within our reach. These successes prove that Vision Zero is not a dream but a reality when cities commit to it fully. With political will, reduced speed limits, intelligent road design, protections for pedestrians and cyclists, strong enforcement of traffic laws, and investment in public transit, the future can look very different from the present.
For all of us who have lost loved ones or seen communities scarred by crashes, this is a beacon of hope.
These positive statistics tell us that our advocacy matters, that change is possible, and that together we can push for a world where every journey ends safely.
Warmly,
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Rochelle Sobel
Founder and President
ASIRT
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Event Co-Chairs: Andrew D. Koblenz, Judi Kranz, and Laurie Wexler
Can’t join us at the Gala? You can still buy raffle tickets
or make a donation to support ASIRT’s critical road safety mission.
You won’t want to miss this memorable event!
Visit for details, to purchase Gala and raffle tickets, or to make a donation.
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===RSR Fast Fact: Spain
In many countries around the world, criminals pose as police officers in order to take advantage — and often rob — unsuspecting tourists. In Spain, it can be challenging to tell who is who. Many legitimate Spanish police professionals operate as plainclothes officers and may stop visitors on streets or on public transport and demand to see proof of identification. Traffic police generally wear uniforms, and unmarked police cars can be identified by flashing electronic signs displayed in rear windows that say “Policia” or “Guarda Civil.” When in doubt about whether you are being approached by an actual officer, politely but firmly request to see the officer’s official identification. If that individual cannot show an official ID, or refuses to do so, seek out a policeman or policewoman wearing a uniform to report the encounter.
ASIRT offers Road Safety Reviews for Spain and almost 100 other countries. If you are planning a trip, consult an ASIRT Road Safety Review for your destination countries.
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FREE Sample Road Safety Reviews (RSR)
Download free sample RSRs and learn more about ASIRT country-specific reports.
Recently updated RSRs include Greece, India, Morocco, Scotland, and Spain. Subscriptions are now available for 1, 8, 20, or all 100 RSRs.
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Bingo Happy Hour
Come play Bingo on Thursday, November 6 at a fundraiser supporting ASIRT!
Where: Pinstripes - 2nd Floor Ballroom
11920 Grand Park Ave, North Bethesda, MD
When: 5PM - 8PM
Details: $20 minimum Donation to Play
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Steering Toward Road Safety
Risk Management Network, RMN, hosted a road safety panel, “Steering Toward Road Safety: Navigating the Road Ahead” earlier this fall. Hiram Jobes, Vice President of Operations, and his colleagues from Concilium opened the morning session by describing the 2024 bus crash in Tanzania when dozens of Youth With A Mission, YWAM, volunteers, students, and their leaders were injured and killed. The Concilium team outlined the difficult and emotional work they performed with locals, families, and governments to locate the victims who had been transported to various medical facilities and then repatriate the remains.
Following the presentation, ASIRT Founder and President Rochelle Sobel of ASIRT offered her family’s perspective of the 1995 crash that claimed the lives of her 25-year old son Aron and 22 other bus passengers in Turkey. She provided the audience of almost 90 participants from faith-based organizations with current statistics and details about road travel throughout the world. Read more.
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ASIRT Engages with Montgomery County Student Leaders About Road Safety
ASIRT representatives Rochelle Sobel and Gayle Nadler addressed more than 100 enthusiastic members of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association (MCR-SGA) at the Smith Center in Olney, Maryland, on August 7, 2025, about road safety in advance of the start of the new school year.
ASIRT presented an overview of the national and local road conditions that students face as drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Students discussed ASIRT recommendations for safe travel on the roads they navigate as they go about their daily lives. Students were encouraged to use their leadership positions to become ambassadors for road safety in their schools and invite their friends to do the same.
Students were also reminded to submit videos highlighting road safety for the upcoming ASIRT x MCR PSA contest.
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In the News
Study shows that strong road safety policies have helped keep Canada on Track. See how.
(IIHS)
Read about how e-bike injuries are a “massive burden.”
(BBC.com)
Learn what study abroad students need to know about road travel risks.
(Forbes)
Despite common assumptions, traveling by bus, subway or train is far safer than driving. How can transit agencies correct misinformation about the real risks? Read more.
(Bloomberg)
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