Starting today traffic safety experts from across the country convene in Denver

For additional conference information and photos, contact [email protected].

Statewide — Starting today, Denver is hosting the nation’s largest gathering of leaders and advocates in traffic safety at the 2024 Lifesavers Conference. The Colorado Convention Center will welcome almost 2,000 professionals from federal, state and local government, law enforcement, public health, injury prevention, advocacy and nonprofit organizations across the country to exchange ideas and strategies to reduce preventable injuries and deaths on roadways. In recent years traffic deaths have been climbing at an alarming rate, but in 2023 there was a 6% decrease in Colorado and a 4% decrease nationwide.

With traffic fatalities hitting a record high in 2022 and only slightly declining in 2023, the conference topics are particularly relevant to the Centennial State. These include speeding, impaired driving, seat belt use, and the Safe System Approach. Colorado proudly champions the Safe System Approach through its Advancing Transportation Plan, demonstrating the state’s proactive stance on traffic safety.

Over 80 workshops will be offered at the Lifesavers Conference, inviting attendees to share successes and discuss strategies for moving the needle closer to zero traffic-related fatalities. Several local organizations will be in attendance, including representatives from the Colorado State Patrol, AAA Colorado, Bicycle Colorado, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and more.

Locally, CDOT continues to implement roadway designs that enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety. Those roadways users comprise over 20% of the deaths on Colorado roads each year.

The agency’s new awareness campaign, Shift into Safe, is designed to motivate positive behavior change among drivers. The campaign uses the laws of physics to demonstrate how impaired, distracted and unbelted driving impacts your safety behind the wheel. CDOT worked closely with local doctors and traffic violence victims to educate and inspire Coloradans on the shared responsibility of safety on our roads.

Interviews with experts in the following fields may be available during the conference from April 7 to 9. Please reach out to Sam Cole at CDOT (text 303-859-1304) for more information.

• Pedestrian, bicycle and micromobility safety
• Distracted driving
• Seat belts and occupant protection
• Marijuana
  • Special Colorado panel presentation, “Cannabis-impaired Driving Roundtable: Bringing Government, Industry & Advocates Together”
• Tribal Nation Outreach
  • Special Colorado panel presentation, “Build a Bridge: Creative Approaches to Reducing Roadway Injuries & Fatalities in Tribal Communities”
• Advanced technology / Automated Driving
• Impairment
• Law Enforcement / Criminal Justice