Knowledge Partners Home Page

ATSIP Knowledge Partnerships are those associations and networks of individuals or organizations that share the mission and goals of ATSIP and whose members contribute knowledge, experience, resources, and best practice research, related to traffic records and roadway safety.

ATSIP Knowledge Partners meet quarterly to discuss current transportation safety priorities and identify how ATSIP can support not only our Knowledge Partners, but also our Members and Affiliates, State HSOs, DOTs, TRCCs, and others regarding transportation safety data, data systems, and those strategies, policies, and programs to reduce injuries and fatalities on our roadways.

ATSIP Knowledge Partners goals and initiatives include broadening the exposure of ATSIP as the leading organization to provide support, assistance, and the exchange of information regarding transportation safety and traffic records data. ATSIP provides the only data focused platform for transportation safety professionals with the Annual Traffic Records Forum and promotes the exchange of ideas, best practices, and new and emerging data sources for anyone seeking assistance with traffic records and other transportation safety data.

Knowledge Partner Working Groups

Safe System Working Group – Chair, Julie Seitz (jseitz@allrise.org)

The Safe System Working Group within the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals (ATSIP) is dedicated to advancing the principles of a human-centered approach to transportation safety. Rooted in the Safe Systems philosophy, this working group emphasizes the well-being and safety of individuals—the core of the transportation system. This group is committed to advancing established and innovative principles and practices, prioritizing protecting human life and well-being within the transportation network. The group will focus on creating and sharing ideas, resources, best practices, and data to improve the safety and resilience of transportation systems.

The purpose of the Safe Systems Working Subgroup is to:
• Develop a collaborative platform for members to share knowledge, expertise, and resources related to Safe Systems strategies, data, and technology in transportation.
• Provide a space for discussing emerging trends, challenges, and solutions in implementing Safe Systems approaches.
• Facilitate the exchange of data, research findings, and case studies that contribute to developing and refining transportation safety practices.
• Support the ATSIP mission by advancing safety initiatives that align with national and global goals for road safety, particularly through evidence-based practices and continuous improvement.

Toxicology Working Group – Chair, Amy Miles (amy.miles@slh.wisc.edu)

To advance public safety by creating unified data standards and analysis methods that bridge forensic toxicology and highway safety data, enabling more effective impaired driving prevention and enforcement.

The ATSIP Toxicology Working Group will strive to establish a national integrated data ecosystem where forensic toxicology and traffic safety information seamlessly converge, empowering evidence-based policies and interventions that significantly reduce impaired driving fatalities and injuries.

Knowledge Partners

Tara Casanova Powell is the Principal of Casanova Powell Consulting, an independent traffic safety research consulting firm and the current CEO for the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals (ATSIP). Tara is the former Program Coordinator for the Annual Lifesavers National Conference on Roadway Safety Priorities and a Research Consultant for Acusensus and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Tara also serves as a faculty staff member for Impaired Driving Solutions, formerly the National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC), under “All Rise”. With over 25 years of experience in the field of road safety, Tara’s career has spanned several niches within this community.

Tara has been engaged with the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine for several years where she currently serves as the Chair for the Impairment in Transportation Committee and was the Chair of the 2021 TRB Drug-Impaired Driving Conference Planning Committee. Tara also founded and Chairs the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS) Impaired Driving Behavioral Intervention Working Group (IDBIIIG) and has recently been elected to the ICADTS Board of Directors as an At Large Member.

In 2023, Tara co-authored the Impact of Compliance-Based Removal Laws on Alcohol-Impaired Driving Recidivism for GHSA, and “Rideshare Volume and DUI Incidents in Boston, Worcester, and Northampton, Massachusetts”, a collaborative project between Lyft and Uber developed for the National Association of District Attorneys (NDAA). Prior reports include “Rideshare Volume and DUI Incidents in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; and Fort Worth, Texas” and “Rideshare Volume and DUI Incidents in Target California Communities” in collaboration with Lyft and also developed for NDAA. Through Tara’s judicial experience, she authored “A GUIDE TO DUI PRETRIAL SERVICES Key Components & Best Practice Recommendations” prepared for the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility illustrating Pretrial Services Early Intervention Programs for DWI Offenders.

Tara has also conducted extensive research on distracted driving including several studies with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Preusser Research Group in NY, CT, Northern Virgina, and Maryland and served on the Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program (BTSCRP) expert panel for the completed project “Examining the Implications of Legislation and Enforcement on Electronic Device Use While Driving”.

Tara’s professional experience and network span several roadway safety priorities, with expertise in impaired driving, distracted driving, speed, occupant protection, and traffic records that transcend barriers that often exist within the silos of the transportation profession. Tara is very passionate about her role in transportation safety and has worked to connect traffic safety professionals including research scientist; federal, state, and local practitioners; law enforcement; and traffic records data professionals to work together to work towards ZERO deaths and to provide equitable transportation for all road users.