IIHS lays out '30‑by‑30' strategy to cut traffic deaths; highlights vehicle tech and quick‑action interventions
April 16, 2026 | Board Council Commission Agencies , Executive, Washington
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Eric Teo, director of statistics at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, briefed the commission April 16 on IIHS's 30‑by‑30 initiative and the organization's strategic tools for states.
Teo reviewed long‑term fatality trends and stressed Washington's room for improvement compared with peer states. "We need to kind of stop trading lives for increased mileage," he said, framing vehicle technology and targeted programs as ways to reduce fatalities more quickly than fleet turnover alone.
IIHS's 30‑by‑30 plan emphasizes three pillars: reducing risky behaviors (alcohol impairment, speeding, distraction, and belt nonuse), extending safety to all road users and occupant sizes, and accelerating commercial‑vehicle safety. Teo highlighted technologies such as intelligent speed assistance (ISA), driver impairment detection (DADSS research), enhanced seatbelt reminders, and crash‑avoidance testing that incorporates nighttime and pedestrian scenarios.
Teo also demonstrated IIHS tools for decision‑makers—the GDL and seatbelt calculators and state one‑pagers—that estimate how specific policy changes could affect lives saved. He urged the commission to prioritize countermeasures that have large effects and can be deployed quickly, noting vehicle tech often requires extended timelines while demonstration projects and enforcement changes can show near‑term gains.
During Q&A, Judge George Steele asked whether IIHS examines enforceability of new laws; Teo said IIHS is partnering on enforcement‑focused projects with organizations such as AAA and MADD and is studying enforcement implications. Commissioner Worsham asked whether fatality reviews are part of the 30‑by‑30 approach; Teo said the initiative's resources highlight high‑impact actions, and Baldwin offered to provide Washington's existing fatality review detail in a follow‑up conversation.
Teo encouraged commissioners to consult IIHS's 30‑by‑30 website and shared calculators and strategic materials for state use.
Teo reviewed long‑term fatality trends and stressed Washington's room for improvement compared with peer states. "We need to kind of stop trading lives for increased mileage," he said, framing vehicle technology and targeted programs as ways to reduce fatalities more quickly than fleet turnover alone.
IIHS's 30‑by‑30 plan emphasizes three pillars: reducing risky behaviors (alcohol impairment, speeding, distraction, and belt nonuse), extending safety to all road users and occupant sizes, and accelerating commercial‑vehicle safety. Teo highlighted technologies such as intelligent speed assistance (ISA), driver impairment detection (DADSS research), enhanced seatbelt reminders, and crash‑avoidance testing that incorporates nighttime and pedestrian scenarios.
Teo also demonstrated IIHS tools for decision‑makers—the GDL and seatbelt calculators and state one‑pagers—that estimate how specific policy changes could affect lives saved. He urged the commission to prioritize countermeasures that have large effects and can be deployed quickly, noting vehicle tech often requires extended timelines while demonstration projects and enforcement changes can show near‑term gains.
During Q&A, Judge George Steele asked whether IIHS examines enforceability of new laws; Teo said IIHS is partnering on enforcement‑focused projects with organizations such as AAA and MADD and is studying enforcement implications. Commissioner Worsham asked whether fatality reviews are part of the 30‑by‑30 approach; Teo said the initiative's resources highlight high‑impact actions, and Baldwin offered to provide Washington's existing fatality review detail in a follow‑up conversation.
Teo encouraged commissioners to consult IIHS's 30‑by‑30 website and shared calculators and strategic materials for state use.
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