As someone with the privilege of working alongside our members across the United States and Canada, I’m often reminded that road safety is not just a matter of individual responsibility—it is a shared commitment. Every time a driver merges onto a highway, a motorcyclist leans into a curve or a pedestrian crosses the street, we are relying on one another. Safety on our roads is built on trust, and trust is built on community.

At its heart, community means recognizing that our actions impact others. There may be no better example than sharing the roads. Unsafe decisions can have serious consequences, and one driver’s choice can ripple outward, affecting neighbors, families and complete strangers. That’s why we all work to ensure that driving safely is a personal value, as well as one the community supports. For our members, this means a mission beyond licensing drivers and registering vehicles. It means taking an active role, fostering a culture where skills, awareness and accountability come together for the common good.

This issue highlights two areas where community is making a powerful difference: motorcycle safety training and outreach initiatives by member agencies. Both are clear examples of how institutions and individuals can work together to create safer roadways.

Motorcycles offer freedom, efficiency and a strong sense of identity for many riders. We are also reminded in this MOVE issue that they come with elevated risk. Unlike cars or trucks, motorcycles leave riders far more exposed to injury when something goes wrong, and the crash numbers are moving in the wrong direction. This means specialized training is not just beneficial, it is life-saving.

What makes motorcycle training effective is not only the technical instruction, but the community it builds. Riders who go through safety courses are not just learning to operate a machine; they are learning to anticipate the behavior of drivers, communicate on the road and respect the vulnerabilities of others. Better still, graduates may become advocates and mentors, sharing what they’ve learned with peers and shaping a broader culture of responsibility.

Investments in high-quality motorcycle education yields better riders and builds community. Supporting a safer community is what our members do best. In fact, they occupy a unique position as one of the few government touchpoints that nearly every person interacts with during their lifetime. That visibility comes with an opportunity and a responsibility to serve not only as regulators, but as educators and partners.

Community outreach is how our members extend their mission beyond the counter. Whether offering training and other resources, collaborating with advocacy and other safety-focused organizations, or conducting outreach to underserved communities, they demonstrate that safety is not one-size-fits-all. By engaging directly with the public in these ways, our members demonstrate their overall commitment to improving their own communities.

Each year AAVMA receives nominations to highlight and recognize all the good our members do. This year, I am once again impressed by the submissions and happy to extend awards to several recipients. From work that empowers disadvantaged women to reaching out to the unhoused population to helping people recover from disasters, our members are volunteering their time and leveraging resources to help those in need. In short, they are making a real difference for their communities.

I hope readers find this edition of MOVE as inspiring as I did. Working with all of AAMVA’s members, I see daily how much difference members are making for their jurisdictions. When we invest in people—through training, education and outreach—we invest in safer communities for all. When we treat safety as a shared value, the results extend far beyond lower crash statistics.