California Safe System Institute for Road Safety
The UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) is excited to announce that applications are now being accepted for the California Safe System Institute for Road Safety (Institute). The Institute is a Safe System Approach training and technical support program. It aims to deepen participants’ understanding of the Safe System framework, provide collaborative opportunities within the cohort, and create tangible next steps for institutionalizing the SSA in participants’ organizations.
This collaborative initiative is offered in partnership with the Vision Zero Network and Fehr & Peers and funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There is no registration cost to participate in the program for those who are accepted. Please note, however, that we are not able to provide travel assistance or reimburse travel expenses.
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Application deadline: Monday, March 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT
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Decision date: Mid-to late April 2026
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion, and we are working to secure formal continuing education units (CEU) credits to further support your professional development.
Submit your application online via Smartsheet by March 30, 2026. If you require a paper copy, please email casafesystem@berkeley.edu.
Who should apply?
This grant-funded training and technical support program is designed for California professionals in planning, engineering, public works, law enforcement, and public health who are ready to move the needle on Vision Zero in their communities.
Selected participants will join a cohort of practitioners for a deep dive into "forgiving" infrastructure, kinetic energy management, and collaborative implementation.
Format and learning approach
The Institute is intentionally designed to move beyond passive learning and toward practical application. It brings together a multidisciplinary cohort of professionals committed to transforming the road safety paradigm in their communities. Each session blends focused expert presentations, introductions to relevant planning tools and frameworks, and dedicated, hands-on “Cohort Team” working time.
Cohort Team time is intentionally protected and supported by a designated facilitator who helps guide discussion, maintain focus, and ensure conversations translate into concrete next steps. This applied, peer-learning model ensures participants leave not only with a deeper understanding of Safe System principles, but also with actionable strategies ready to implement within their agencies.
Program commitments and key dates
Participants are expected to attend all Institute activities, including:
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Virtual pre-session on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 (anticipated 10am – noon PT)
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In-person workshop on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Berkeley, CA (anticipated 9am – 5pm PT)
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Virtual post-session on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 (anticipated 1pm – 3pm PT)
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Up to two hours of preparatory reading and/or videos to ensure in-person time is focused on high-level strategy
Scheduling note: Final times will be confirmed via email at least 30 days prior to each session to support travel and calendar planning.
Participants will also be expected to invite at least one colleague to attend the post-workshop session to promote organizational alignment with the Safe System Approach and foster essential interagency and multidisciplinary connections.
Apply now
To ensure meaningful discussion and strong cohort engagement, participation is limited to 25–30 individuals. We encourage you to share your unique perspective and community goals in the brief application.
The deadline to apply is March 30, 2026. Submit your application online via Smartsheet. If you require a paper copy, please email casafesystem@berkeley.edu
Application requirements
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Please submit a brief statement of interest (recommended length: 300–500 words) addressing:
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Your past experience with — or your interest in — learning about and implementing Vision Zero / Safe System goals and strategies.
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What you hope to achieve through participation in the California Safe System Institute for Road Safety (e.g., specific skills you want to gain, a project you want to start, or a road safety challenge in your community you want to address).
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Your ability and commitment to participate fully in the program, including two virtual sessions and one in-person workshop in Berkeley, CA.
Addressing the need for the California Safe System Institute for Road Safety
In California and across the United States, the Safe System Approach is increasingly recognized as an effective way to promote roadway safety. The Safe System Approach recognizes that people will inevitably make mistakes while using the transportation system and that human bodies have limited ability to tolerate crash impacts. Therefore, all elements of the transportation system should be designed and maintained to help guard against those mistakes becoming fatal or severe.
In the summer of 2025, SafeTREC conducted a Needs Assessment to explore the need for, and interest in, a program to support and nurture California communities’ road safety work to align with an effective Safe System Approach. As part of the Needs Assessment, interviews and surveys were conducted, finding strong interest in such assistance, particularly for peer learning, leadership support opportunities, and more concrete examples of successes to inform individual communities’ work. The Needs Assessment identified key areas of interest to help advance communities’ road safety efforts, including the need for:
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Practical examples of Safe System implementation;
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Technical guidance on topics such as managing speeds and designing safe streets in constrained spaces; and
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Resources to strengthen internal capacity and leadership buy-in.
Respondents also emphasized challenges such as public resistance to safety changes, reliance on outdated safety frameworks, and limited internal understanding of the Safe System Approach. Read the executive summary of this work for more information.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).