Global Youth Coalition Member Feature: Maria Weston Kuhn

1.  Where are you connected right now? Tell us about the work you're doing.
I’m a senior at Columbia University and living in New York City. Through my academic work and road safety activism, I work to raise awareness of gender-based car safety inequalities. I research, write articles, use social media, and lobby for government officials to help make cars and transportation safer for all. 

2.  How did you first get involved in road safety and how long have you been working in the road safety and sustainable mobility field? 
I first got involved in road safety, as many do, after surviving a road crash. My family and I were on Christmas vacation in Ireland in late December 2019 when a distracted driver rounded the corner in the wrong lane and hit us head-on. We all survived, although my small intestine was punctured and required emergency surgery. After the incident, I learned that cars are designed for men through an article my grandmother cut out of a magazine and mailed to me. Since then, I have been fighting to fix this. 

3.  Can you tell us a little bit about the road safety and sustainable mobility situation in your area? 
Although I live in New York City and Portland, Maine, most of the work I do is national. I work locally mostly to raise awareness of these national issues, which are unfortunately only solvable at a federal level.

4.  Why do you think it's important to include young people in local and global road safety efforts? 
It is important to bring young people into the road safety conversation because it is our future on the line. Our voices need to be taken seriously because we are the ones inheriting this world we’re working to create and we are the ones who will feel the impact. For too long, young people have been left out of the conversation and the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety helps bring us back in. 

5.  Why did you join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety? 
I joined the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety because I wanted to meet and join forces with other young people interested in a more equitable, safe, and sustainable future. 

6.  What are your comments on the Coalition? Its activities? Its opportunities? 
The Coalition has been a wonderful resource in pursuing my goals of bettering transportation for all. It provides opportunities to learn, connect, and contribute. 

7.  Any messages for people who have not yet joined the Youth Coalition? 
For any of those who have not yet joined the Coalition, I say – do it! 

8.  Can you share a brief description of yourself?
I am from Portland, Maine, and am a fourth-year student of political science and psychology at Columbia University in New York. Most of my time is spent with my family, friends, dogs, and in the outdoors. I am also a fan of crossword puzzles, mountain running, and the Buffalo Bills.