Youth Take the Wheel on Road Safety at Record-Breaking Summit in San Antonio
On Friday, Nov. 14, Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Youth Transportation Safety (YTS) Program hosted the largest annual YTS Summit to date, bringing together over 35 schools from across 10 states and safety stakeholders to address the pressing issue of young lives being lost on our roads.
The YTS Summit, sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation and State Farm, is an annual event dedicated to promoting safe travel practices among youth. This free, one-day conference, hosted at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, had over 350 participants, including high school students, college students, parents, teachers and representatives from various transportation and safety organizations.
Car crashes remain one of the leading causes of injury and death among young people in Texas and across the United States. Despite progress over the past decade — including a 20% reduction in young lives lost between 2007 and 2019 — recent years have seen an increase in fatalities. In 2024, there were 53,636 crashes in Texas involving teen drivers aged 15 to 18, resulting in 201 deaths (TxDOT CRIS). Young drivers continue to be overrepresented in crashes compared to older and more experienced drivers, underscoring the continued need for education, awareness and prevention efforts focused on youth.
In preparation for the summit, the YTS youth board members gathered to hear from the hostcity’s Transportation Director about San Antonio’s mission to create safer streets for all road users. Board members discussed the year’s goals for Teens in the Driver Seat and U in the Driver Seat – YTS’s pillar peer-led programs for junior high, high school and college youth, and concluded the day practicing public speaking and setting up a public platform to speak on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims – a global event held every third Sunday of November to honor those who have lost their lives or been impacted by roadway crashes.
“At YTS, our focus is to change the culture of safety regarding some of the big risk factors like distractions and speeding for teens on our roads” said Lisa Minjares-Kyle, YTS Program Manager. “Our goal is to not only help young people understand these dangers but become safety advocates within their communities focused on changing unsafe habits for safe ones for themselves and everyone around them. The YTS Safety Summit gives us an opportunity to gather students and safety leaders to connect, share experiences, and inspire one another as we work together to make our roads safer for all.”
The summit featured dynamic workshops and breakout sessions that encouraged open dialogue, creativity and hands-on learning around transportation safety. Attendees contributed to a collective safety mural, tested their knowledge in the ThinkFast Interactive Program, and joined the COSA Transportation team for the popular Walk the Block – Walkability Tour.
“The Teen Advisory Board has helped me grow in many aspects including leadership, communication, and overall awareness. I’ve had the opportunity to meet teens from different states, like Georgia and California, all having different perspectives on safe driving and accountability.” said YTS Youth Board Member, Lindsey Lam. “The board is truly unique by having so many different students from all over the nation to collaborate on common issues and goals of safe driving and I think by doing so, it allowed me to further respect our common values.”
“We’re deeply grateful to TxDOT and all our sponsors for their continued partnership and support,” said Minjares-Kyle. “Together, we’re giving young people the tools to make safer choices behind the wheel and helping them lead a movement that saves lives on Texas roads.”
