When people think about road safety, they often think about better infrastructure, safer vehicles or stronger enforcement. But some of the most powerful opportunities to save lives happen long before a crash ever occurs.
During IBTTA's 2026 Global Road Safety Week, IBTTA Board Member and Atlas Arteria Chief Commercial Officer Amanda Baxter helped demonstrate exactly what that looks like.
At the Warnow Tunnel in Rostock, Germany—operated by Atlas Arteria's Warnowquerung GmbH—the toll facility became an interactive road safety education center, inviting travelers and members of the local community to experience firsthand how impairment and distraction affect driving performance.
Visitors tested their reaction times, tried impairment-simulation ("drunk") goggles and stepped into the BADS driving simulator to see how alcohol, drugs and distraction can dramatically reduce a driver's ability to react safely behind the wheel. Local road safety experts from Verkehrswacht Tessin-Sanitz were on hand to provide practical education and answer questions, while drivers traveling through the tunnel received glovebox safety cards outlining what to do in the event of traffic congestion, vehicle breakdowns or fires inside the tunnel. Even the facility's mascot, Otter Oskar, helped reinforce the week's safety message for families and younger travelers.
The program comes at a time when transportation leaders around the world are confronting an evolving road safety challenge. While distracted driving continues to command headlines, impairment remains one of the leading contributors to serious crashes. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.19 million people are killed on the world's roads each year, with alcohol remaining a significant risk factor. At the same time, transportation agencies are grappling with the growing impact of cannabis, prescription medications and other substances that can impair judgment, reaction time and decision-making—often without drivers recognizing the risk themselves.
The initiative demonstrates the important role toll operators can play in preventing crashes before they happen. By turning a routine stop into an interactive learning experience, Atlas Arteria transformed a customer touchpoint into an opportunity to influence safer driving behaviors.
That approach reflects the broader mission of IBTTA's 2026 Be Safe Together campaign. Throughout Global Road Safety Week, members around the world have demonstrated that roadway safety extends well beyond engineering and enforcement. It is also about education, engagement and meeting drivers where they are.
The Warnow Tunnel initiative is an excellent example of how infrastructure operators can transform everyday interactions into meaningful opportunities to improve safety. Through hands-on learning, local partnerships and practical safety messaging, Atlas Arteria demonstrated that even a routine trip through a toll facility can help someone make safer decisions behind the wheel.
Road safety is a shared responsibility. Every interaction with the traveling public is an opportunity to prevent the next crash—and programs like this show that even small moments can make a lasting difference.