Colorado 2006 Safety Activities Roadway Fatalities in Colorado on a Downward Trend - Attention to 3 E’s Pays Off Number of Fatalities 2002 743 Fatalities All time Colorado High 2003 644Fatalities 2004 667 Fatalities 2005 606 Fatalities A 9.4% reduction over 2004 2006 151-to date Currently about 27% below where we were this time last year Fatality Rate per 100 MVMT 2002 1.89 2003 1.68 2004 1.60 2005 1.34 Legislative Update The Colorado Legislature rejected a Primary Seat Belt Bill - again a close vote; 33-32 passed in House, defeated in a 32-32 tie vote in the Senate. Racial profiling was an issue during the debate on the bill this session. Four bills passed that focused on teen driving. A bill was passed redefining BAC level for defining a Colorado “persistent drunk driver” (0.17 rather than 0.2), requiring those drivers to use interlock devices for two years. New Programs

1) Fast FARS (Fatal Analysis Reporting System) - Timely data is critical to safety planning

CDOT worked with the Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies to speed up the process by which CDOT obtained fatality information. A Fatal Accident Blotter system was developed that immediately notifies CDOT of any roadway fatalities. This information is made available quickly to the CDOT management team, including Headquarters and Regional Offices, to increase their awareness and guide their actions. This immediate notification process helps CDOT make timely and informed safety decisions. 2) Local Outreach – Studies and Seminars CDOT has a Safety and Traffic Engineering program that provides technical training to the many outlining communities who otherwise would not be able to obtain training. The training is designed to: meet the local rural needs for regulatory education, provide these communities with access to resources, establish a forum for rural local governmental units to share common issues

and solutions, and update them on the latest information regarding roadway human behavior and engineering issues and solutions. Seminars are scheduled to accommodate the municipalities on both sides of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. In addition, CDOT performs engineering-based town studies, for municipalities with populations under 20,000, to encourage and assist these communities in making safety improvements to their local roadways

3) Work Zone Safety The following was accomplished with input from the construction industry:

o Updated Work Zone Standard Plans – standard work zone set-up plans and details o New Work Zone Safety Guideline and a new Flagger Manual (English and Spanish

versions. o Cone Zone Safety Program – increased media and enforcement activities stressing

motorist safety in work zones o A new CDOT/FHWA Work Zone Safety audit

4) Hazard Elimination Program at the Local Level CDOT annually makes safety funding available to local entities for their use on local roadway safety improvements. These funds are used on projects that have the greatest accident reduction potential; projects that include improvements to reduce the potential for vehicles leaving the roadway, or remove roadside obstacles, or that reduce intersection crashes. Candidate projects are identified through an application process and selected after detailed crash data analysis. Over the next three years we plan to allocate about 22 percent, or just over $10 million, of the Safety Traffic Engineering funds for these local projects. This is consistent with CDOT’s historical allocation to local governments.

IDAHO 2006 SAFETY ACTIVITIES The Governor’s Highway Safety Summit: TOWARDS ZERO DEATHS was held in October of 2005, with about 150 attendees. DMV representatives participated in the breakout sessions both as participants and subject matter experts. Other attendees included law enforcement, legislators, local leaders, educators, and federal and state transportation officials.

ROADWISE REVIEW: a senior citizen self-evaluation tool on CD. Idaho Driver Services teamed up with AAA in distributing a self-evaluation CD for senior citizens to evaluate their physical and mental abilities that relate to driving abilities. The CD was offered to public and medical libraries statewide, in hopes that it would be loaned to the public through the library system. This easy-to-use computer program was designed by health and driving experts. Individuals are guided through a series of exercises simulating the visual, mental and physical challenges of driving.

Video distribution: The Unsafe Driving Acts of Motorists in the Vicinity of Large Trucks: The video, produced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is an excellent education tool. Idaho Driver Services got permission to copy the video and in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Education, distributed 250 copies to driver education instructors statewide.

Distracted driver information given more prominence in the driver manual.

NORPASS: Idaho is a member in NORPASS (North American Pre-Clearance and Safety System) which is a partnership, made up of state and provincial agencies and representatives of the motor carrier community. The primary purpose of the NORPASS partnership is to enhance the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicle operations (i.e., trucking) through the promotion and implementation of open, interoperable, electronic screening systems. Vehicles are equipped with transponders, which allow screening systems to identify vehicle and credentials as well as size and weight requirements. This rewards "safe" vehicles by allowing them to bypass Ports of Entry.

Smart Roadside Systems: Idaho is partnering with Idaho State Police to install two "Smart Roadside" systems in Northern Idaho near the Canadian border to monitor international traffic by providing internet accessible snapshots which detail the vehicles and a time stamp in order to monitor log book requirements. Downstream ISP and POE will have access to this web information and can use it to compare the driver's log books (hours of service) in order to ensure that drivers are not violating this federal requirement thus posing a safety risk to the traveling public as well as themselves.

2006 Legislation: Increased penalties for refusals and felony DUI’s. Insurance discount for drivers age 55 and older that take an accident prevention course.

(previously the age requirement was 65 and older) Move over law when approaching law enforcement and emergency vehicles. CDL Audit Compliance Legislation, to correct FMCSA Audit findings. Motorcycle red light legislation

Illinois 2006 Safety Activities

Priscilla Tobias, State Safety Engineer • Illinois CHSP—Completed and have a 2nd Safety Summit scheduled (July 19) to kick off

integrated implementation teams representing the 4E’s for the 10 emphasis areas. Created an Executive Safety Committee for oversight of implementation of CHSP.

• HSIP Program—Updated our practices, including revising the formula for selection of High Accident Locations to emphasize fatalities and serious injuries, and also reworking our B/C economic analysis to account for the specific crash losses at a site. HSIP dollars--$5M of which is determined centrally how to use, 20% of funds, including the HRRR allocated annually to the local system ($8M), remaining distributed among 9 districts. All projects reviewed and approved by a central safety committee comprised of safety reps and FHWA. Corridor safety improvements are in the process.

• High Tension Cable Median Barrier—Served as lead State for an FHWA sponsored scanning tour. This tour visited Oklahoma, Ohio, and Texas. Report 18 can be found at http://sftp.cee.uiuc.edu/research/tol/reports.html Illinois has in-place contracts for experimental installation of most of the available high tension cable median barriers.

• Midwest Guardrail System—Implementation of this system will be a significant modernization of our current practices, and should require only a nominal cost change. The focus will be on interstates initially based on the fatality and serious injury data.

• Road Safety Assessments (RSA)—IDOT/FHWA conducted a Process Review to share the RSA process with our Districts and to evaluate its value. RSAs have been used to evaluate safety risks for identified locations of high crash severity, potential changes to intersections, and to help a local agency evaluate its safety risks for application to the HSIP funding. RSA training has been initiated with enforcement representatives included in the class. IDOT looking to expand to the locals using an integrated team of engineers and enforcement representatives.

• Photo Speed Enforcement in Work Zones—Enforcement began May 19, 2006 in the Chicago area. Fines: $375 1st ticket, $1000 2nd ticket. Research project to determine effectiveness of photo enforcement, speed monitor sign and police enforcement upon speeds and safety.

• Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement—ISP is stepping up enforcement on speeding and safety belt compliance for commercial motor vehicles this summer. Fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles are up 35% first quarter 2006 vs. first quarter 2005. We plan to do a media buy to support the enforcement activity on satellite radio, based on Federal and CMS approval.

• Annual Public Hearings for Safety—For the 2nd year, IDOT (DTS) held 8 statewide to find out what problems the communities are facing involving seat belts, alcohol, speed, teen driving etc. This information will help determine how dollars are spent in the Highway Safety Plan.

• ISP Motorcycle Patrol Created—IDOT (DTS) gave over $500k to ISP to purchase 50 new motorcycles for use statewide. The purpose is to increase aggressive driving and speed enforcement of the interstate system and to also increase the response time for crashes. The program rolls out the end of June 2006.

• Impaired Driving Safety Summit—IDOT (DTS) to host July 25-27 on prevention, treatment, adjudication and enforcement of impaired driving.

• Safety Belt Compliance Rate is 86%. Primary Safety Belt Law passed in July 2003. Fatality numbers for 2004 dropped by approximately 100.

• Speed Enforcement Grants—As a new initiative, IDOT (DTS) will be providing grants to address speed enforcement.

• Statewide Calendar Contest for WZ Safety Awareness. Partnered with ATSSA and other private companies for this. Illinois student placed 3rd nationally.

• Local Fatalities—IDOT is encouraging locals to develop CHSP and focus on integrated solutions for reducing fatalities on their system (approx 52% of fatalities).

Iowa 2006 Safety Activities

Iowa 2006 Annual Fatalities

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Alcohol/Impaired Driver Related Fatalities • Currently the second lowest percentage of total fatal crashes in the country (trailing only

Utah) a) Previous low was in 2000 with 112 fatalities b) 2004 with 78 fatalities c) 2005 with 88 fatalities.

-.08 legislation -Diligent law enforcement -Lane Departure counter measures

Lowest Auto Insurance Rates in the Country Young Driver Safety Legislation (Failed) Traffic Records Assessment Completed Traffic Records Strategic Plan Completed High Risk Rural Roads Program established Strategic Highway Safety Plan on schedule (Oct. 1 completion)

• Focus Areas: -Older Drivers -Intersections -Young Drivers -Local Roads -Impaired Drivers -Lane Departure -Distracted Drivers -Occupant Protection

Alternative “5%” Analysis have been completed

-Cross Median/ Cross Center Line-Single Vehicle ran off the road -Expressway Intersections

5 Year Safety Program Focus

1) Low Cost Lane Departure Counter-Measures 2) Assisting Local Governments with Free:

-Training -Safety Studies-Data Analysis -Safety Grants

Governor set Goal of 95% Seat Belt Usage (currently at 87%) Regional Peer Exchanges

1) Held Region7 Traffic/Safety Research Forum April 30, 2006 in Missouri 2) Upper Midwest Traffic/Safety, Engineer Peer Exchange in Wisconsin this fall

Selected Iowa Safety Research Completed in 2005 1) Iowa’s Experience with “Road Diet” Measures: Impacts on Crash Frequencies and

Crash Rates Following a Bayesian Approach. -4 Lane to 3 Lane Conversions

2) Guidelines for Removal of Traffic Control Devices in Rural Areas 3) Safety Performance of Rural Expressway Intersections 4) Safety Impact of Roadway Lighting at Isolated Rural Intersections 5) Safety Effectiveness of High Speed Expressway Signals 6) Empirical Bayes (EB) and Full, Hierarchal Bayes (FB) Comparison 7) Safety Impacts of Pavement Edge Drop-Off (Prepared for AAA)

Selected Active Iowa Safety Research Projects 1) Safety Impact of Raising Interstate Speed Limit in Iowa. 2) Safety Benefits of 4 ft. Paved Shoulders with Rumble Strips vs. 2 ft. Paved Shoulders

without Shoulder Rumble Strip vs. Granular Shoulder Only 3) Demonstration and Evaluation of Speed Management on Main Roads into small

Communities (prepared for FHWA) 4) School Site Safety Handbook 5) Synthesis of Practice and Benefits of Urban Clear Zones 6) Older Driver and Pedestrian Accommodation Demonstration

Kentucky 2006 Safety Activities 2006 Legislative Session – completed in April

o Passed Primary Enforcement Safety Belt Law o Passed Upgraded Graduated Driver Licensing Law o Passed Quick Clearance Law

There were a total of five issues that were identified by the Legislative Issues Team and three out of five were passed into law. The remaining two – Administrative License Revocation and Coal Truck Safety – will be brought back in 2007. All of these laws were passed as a direct result of the formation of the Governor’s Executive Committee on Highway Safety in late 2004 with specific consideration from the following emphasis area teams:

o Legislative Issues o Incident Management o Young Drivers o Occupant Protection

The backing of the Governor and Secretary of Transportation, along with grassroots “Saved By The Belt” rallies throughout the state by the Transportation Cabinet passed these laws. As of this writing, fatalities are 53 behind the same time in 2005 and are lower than the same time periods in each of the previous 6 years. Department of Transportation Safety Effective July 15, 2006, Governor Fletcher will create the Department of Transportation Safety within the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. This department will hold equal status with the Department of Highways and Department of Vehicle Regulation and will initially contain two divisions:

1. Division of Traffic Safety Education & Research – Staff to Governor’s Executive Committee on Highway Safety, Kentucky’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan, Drive Smart Kentucky!, and the Traffic Safety Data Service

2. Division of Traffic Assistance & Security – Traffic Operations Center, SAFE Patrol vans. “Drive Smart” Safety Corridors

There are a total of 13 corridors across the state. After one complete year in operation, twelve of thirteen safety corridors saw a reduction in total fatalities and injuries of from 7% to 33%. The one remaining corridor had a 0.6% increase. These corridors are cooperative efforts of engineering, enforcement, education and emergency response.

Commercial Vehicle Safety

Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement Commissioner Greg Howard instituted Targeting Aggressive Cars & Trucks(TACT) in Kentucky, which was used in Washington State. They partnered with the trucking industry, the Transportation Cabinet, and also included air enforcement capabilities. In the eastern Kentucky coal field area the project reduced commercial vehicle fatalities by 40%.

Engineering Safety Efforts o Cable Barrier Pilot installations

o Data-driven, as opposed to statewide emphasis o Issues

Public Pressure Data Accuracy Maintenance

Research Efforts

o TRB Low-Cost Safety Improvements Pooled Fund o Ky Transportation Center - Road Safety Audit Research for Resurfacing projects o Ky Transportation Center - Rumble Strips o Ky Transportation Center - Low Cost Improvements for Signalized Intersections

Maryland 2006 Safety Activities Maryland is updating its Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) and conforming it to the process and content requirements of SAFETEA-LU. The process is being managed by a three-person management team with direct oversight from the State Highway Administrator, who serves as the Governor’s Rep. A cabinet level Executive Committee has endorsed the process and approved six emphasis areas. A mid-level Steering Committee, which includes representatives from a wide range of stakeholders, is meeting monthly and will be prominent at the statewide Traffic Safety Summit in July, where teams will begin to formulate objectives and strategies for the emphasis area programs. It is expected that the SHSP will be completed by mid September. In March 2006, Maryland kicked off its 16th annual Chiefs’ Challenge campaign with more than 100 statewide law enforcement agencies participating in the event. This and other coordinated efforts have resulted in Maryland’s safety belt use rate reaching 91.1% in 2005. Membership in Maryland’s Traffic Safety Awareness for Employers (T-SAFE) project, a local affiliate of NETS, now totals more than 500 businesses, associations, and other organizations. This membership represents more than 25,000 individual employees that are reached directly through T-SAFE activities. Maryland SHA recently conducted a study of six locations where Prepare To Stop When Flashing (PTSWF) advanced warning signs with beacons are used to warn motorist of red stopping conditions on approaches to intersections where the traffic signal is obscured from the approaching driver’s view. The “before and after” analysis (no Bayesian) found a significant 63 percent reduction in the overall accident rate following the installation of the signs. Accident rate reductions of 41 percent and 65 percent in rear-end and right-angle collision, respectively, also were statistically significant. Maryland SHA has made a deeper excursion into the realm of Road Safety Audits. Six audit teams, which included local highway safety program coordinators, conducted pilot safety audits locations in the various districts to test the draft guidelines for the SHA Road Safety Audit program. The audits produced location-specific and general crash countermeasures. The Guidelines will be finalized in May. Audit training will be provided to additional SHA; MPO; State Police; and local engineering, law enforcement, and safety agency staff.

Maryland continues to partner with Virginia and D.C. in the Washington metropolitan area StreetSmart pedestrian and bicyclist safety campaign. The 2005 effort featured a one-month media blitz consisting of some $220,000 in paid advertising for radio spots, outdoor advertising, bus backs, and bus shelter placements. Total impressions for the 2005 StreetSmart campaign topped 3.3 million. Pedestrian stings (officers citing drivers who failed to stop for the officers posing as pedestrians in crosswalks) and other enforcement operations also were a part of the campaign. Maryland’s efforts to reduce impaired driving have included Maryland Remembers, a campaign that features a victim memorial event hosted by the Governor and the First Lady, sobriety checkpoints dedicated to victims of impaired driving crashes, and special media events.

Mississippi 2006 Safety Activities

THE GOOD NEWS! – Mississippi Passed a primary safety belt law that goes into effect Memorial Day Weekend of 2006. This was #1 on our safety wish list for years.

MDOT’s Safety Analysis Management System (SAMS) has just gone through the initial testing of the alpha release. The beta release of the application is expected in December of 2006 with the production release scheduled for the summer of 2007. Once complete, SAMS will provide flexible and robust safety analysis capabilities utilizing the integration of crash data, roadway characteristics data, and culture data. Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Development – MDOT has partnered with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) to develop our SHSP. We have contracted CH2M Hill to help with this effort. We are currently planning the Critical Emphasis Area Workshop, which will be held July 26th. Invitations are being sent to over 25 different agencies with safety roles. A follow-up meeting will be held August 30 to select specific strategies to implement in an effort to reach our goal. Other Activities Rumble “stripe” evaluation study [hotlink] Evaluation of law enforcement presence in work zones 1st Cable Barrier installation Hired Safe Route to School Coordinator Upgrading to Prismatic Sheeting for regulatory and warning signs Ongoing “Rollover Simulator” program Initiated the Simulated Impaired Driving Experience (SIDNE) Program Issues Developing “5%” list Crash predictive model – Empirical Bayes vs. Full Bayes Decline in number of Law enforcement officers

Missouri 2006 Safety Activities

• As of May 15, 2006 traffic fatalities are down 21 percent over last year with 356 fatalities in

2006 compared to 454 in 2005. • A comprehensive highway safety bill will be sent to the Governor for signature. The bill

includes language to strengthen Missouri law regarding: work zones; moving over for emergency vehicles; graduated driver licenses; and requiring booster seats for children.

• The Hazard Elimination Program has been rewritten to support Missouri’s Blueprint for Safer Roadways and will identify locations that are experiencing fatal and/or disabling injury crashes instead of looking at all crashes.

• MoDOT’s new pavement marking and roadway visibility plan will provide a visible and safe roadway in all weather conditions. Some of the improvements:

o Emergency Reference Markers spaced 0.2 miles on all interstate routes o Continuous delineation of median guardcable o Delineation of guardrail and median barriers within two feet of the shoulder o Six-inch edgelines and lane lines on our major roads o Durable pavement markings are applied on any new surface

Fourth Generation (High Build) paint on minor roads Epoxy on major roads (on multi-lane divided roadways the lane lines will be

3M’s 380 Waffle Tape) o Increased visibility during nighttime and wet pavement conditions

Edgeline rumble stripes on roadways with adequate paved shoulders Centerline rumble strips on major rural two-lane roadways Installation of up to 1 million feet of wet reflective tape in 2006

• Roadways with alternating passing lanes (2+1) have been built to improve capacity and safety by providing a safe opportunity to pass at given intervals.

• Automated enforcement of red light running has been installed and is operational at four intersections in Arnold, Missouri. Additional cities are now pursuing automated enforcement for red light running.

• MoDOT is placing an increased emphasis on managing incidents and work zones on I-70 and I-44.

• Restrain Yourself challenged high school students to develop an original 30-second public service announcement convincing their peers to buckle up. Fifteen entries received recognition in one of the following categories: grand prize, first place, second place, honorable mention and special recognition. The top three entries can be viewed at www.savemolives.com/restrainyourself.html.

• Missouri is participating in a four-state project in the central region to increase safety belt use among drivers and passengers of pickup trucks. The Buckle Up in Your Truck initiative kicked off on May 1st prior to the National Click It or Ticket campaign. For more information you can visit the website for the central region campaign at www.centralregionproject.org.

Nevada 2006 Safety Activities

• The Safety GIS of all public roads in Nevada is being used for analysis in support of HSIP. o State of the art maintenance tools are being developed to keep the GIS current for the

distribution to NDOT safety customers (currently law enforcement participating in Nevada Accident and Citation Tracking System, NCATS). New position dedicated to Safety GIS maintenance and analysis.

o NDOT has begun acquiring data from local agencies (AADT, speed limits, intersection control etc…) to assist in the GIS analysis of non-state routes.

• NDOT Safety Engineering is evaluating a grid analysis software package to identify

pedestrian high crash location criteria developed by UNLV Transportation Resource Center.

• Nevada Executive Committee for Transportation Safety (NECTS) representing all 4 E’s was formed Sept 05 to oversee the completion, implementation, and evaluation of the SHSP.

o Safety Summit 11/05 kicked off the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, 60 transportation professionals from throughout the state

o The SHSP Technical Working Group, at the direction of the NECTS, has been working with CH2M Hill to complete the plan. The final draft under review by the TWG in preparation for the June NECTS meeting.

• NDOT is a member of the Executive Traffic Records Coordinating Committee, newly

formed to implement NHTSA’s Traffic Records Assessment and Section 408 grant requirements.

o NDOT has been an active participant on the Traffic Records Committee for several years.

• NDOT partnered with the Nevada Highway Patrol to increase enforcement along a high

crash corridor. o Intense development along a once rural two-lane highway (SR 160) contributed to a

string of fatal crashes. • NDOT is promoting the construction of roundabouts at identified high crash locations

statewide through presentations to the public and local government officials. o The successful safety charrettes has encouraged NDOT to continue with this process.

Working with locals in an open setting where they feel there comments are being considered can be successful.

• NDOT will begin developing a formal Road Safety Audit process.

o New Staff position has been approved with interviews forthcoming. This position will be tasked to help develop and then implement the program.

New Jersey 2006 Safety Activities Comprehensive Strategic Highway Safety Plan

A draft plan has been prepared and is currently under review by the Safety Management Task Force (SMTF) Core Group and Task Team Leaders. The CSHSP focused on eight (8) Emphasis Areas which produced 135 strategies and actions from 140 safety participants. The Task Team leaders will be convening their Emphasis Area participants for review of the Plan and development of priority strategies. The Plan will be presented to the full SMTF later this year.

Safe Corridors/Safety Impact Teams

130 miles of state roadway are in their 3rd year of a Safe Corridor designation. They were chosen due to their above average crash incidence. Safety Impact Team reviews are conducted on each 10 mile segment to evaluate from an engineering, education, and enforcement perspective potential short, intermediate, and long term recommendations for safety improvements. First year results were encouraging with a 7% reduction in crashes and a 14% reduction in fatal crashes. Second year results are due next month.

Pedestrian Strategic Assessment

Due to the continuing number of pedestrian deaths on New Jersey roadways, the NJDOT recognized the need for a strategic approach to improving pedestrian safety throughout the state. This assessment was designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our existing approaches to pedestrian safety and recommend improvements that would provide for a more systematic approach. After review of the assessment is complete, the NJDOT will prepare a formal Pedestrian Action Plan that identifies the priorities, responsibilities, and timetable for implementation of the recommendations.

Local Federal Safety Program

A grant program developed jointly with the NJDOT and the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to identify locations on county and municipal roadways for low cost quick-fix safety improvements. Locations are identified from the NJDOT crash records database and prioritized by the MPOs for improvements that don’t require row of way, utility relocation, and historic impacts, but can be constructed within one year. Safety improvements such as new signing and pavement markings, traffic signal upgrades and timing modifications, and traffic calming installations are highly recommended.

Ohio 2006 Safety Activities ODOT’s safety program has evolved significantly over the past three years to address a diverse spectrum of safety issues facing Ohio’s motorists. Historically, ODOT concentrated safety studies and analysis on the rural high crash locations under its jurisdiction. However, in 2002, the department took a broader look across the state and began to actively pursue safety partnerships with FHWA, the Department of Public Safety, the County Engineers Association, the Highway Patrol, Federal Motor Carriers, municipal planning organizations, local governments and law enforcement agencies to develop comprehensive highway safety improvements. ODOT also implemented a number of safety improvement programs to identify and address high crash locations across the system due to the diverse nature of safety location analysis and identification.

• Hot Spot Program - 350 locations studies annually o Targets highest crash frequency/density crash locations (predominately urban

locations) • Highway Safety Program - 250 locations studies annually

o Evaluates locations based on rate, severity, frequency, change in crash patterns over time (predominately rural locations)

• Congestion Program - 200 locations studies annually o Targets congested locations (predominately urban/suburban locations)

• Safety Corridor Program - 7 corridors studied o Examine two-lane rural highway corridors and develop strategies addressing the 4 E’s

• County Forces Safety Program o Improves highway safety through systematic maintenance improvements and

elimination of roadway deficiencies that can contribute to crashes • Education and Enforcement Crash Reduction Programs (Safe Commute & Quick Clear)

o Education and enforcement campaign promoting highway safety on high crash urban freeways

• Work Zone Safety Program o Implement near real-time work zone crash analysis monitoring system

Accomplishment

To help support the safety program, ODOT has more than doubled the annual spending on projects for high crash safety locations from $30 million to $64 million since 2004. As a result, Ohio has experienced reductions in the number and severity of crashes between 2002 and 2005. Total crashes have decreased 7.2% (386,076 to 358,127), fatalities have decreased 6.5% (1,418 to 1,326), and injuries have decreased 8.4% (143,258 to 131,245). Ohio is also making strides to achieve the national goal of 1.0 fatality per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by decreasing the fatality rate from 1.31 in 2002 to 1.18 in 2005. Annually, ODOT studies and addresses hundreds of safety locations. Through these studies, over 800 low-cost, short-term safety improvements have been implemented to the system since 2003 including signing, pavement markings, drainage, and sight distance improvements. These low-cost improvements are above and beyond the $64 million ODOT

spends on higher cost safety improvement projects annually. With respect to work zones, ODOT is continually working to develop innovative work zone policies and practices to keep traffic moving safely through the work zones. Work zone initiatives include: annual inspections, maintenance of traffic alternatives analysis, and work zone crash monitoring. Ohio’s work zone crash statistics have shown a 27% reduction from 2001 (8,039 crashes) to 2005 (5,854 crashes) even though the construction program has continued to expand. ODOT has greatly improved the condition of basic safety items on its routes from 2002 through 2005. Guardrail deficiencies have been reduced by 90 percent, pavement deficiencies by 84 percent, signing deficiencies by 77 percent, pavement drop offs by 59 percent, vegetation obstructions by 84 percent, drainage obstruction by 81 percent and pavement marking deficiencies by 78 percent. These basic items contribute significantly to safety, especially on rural two-lane routes. These items are now continuously measured under ODOT’s new management practices.

.3 Minute Best Practice Presentation - The Safety and Congestion Work Plan. The Safety and Congestion Work Plan is a database and planning tool that has allowed ODOT to consolidate, manage and track safety locations and improvements on the system. With the large number of safety studies and projects that ODOT performs each year, a tool was needed to manage the information efficiently and effectively. The work plan allows ODOT to continuously track progress on the safety studies, countermeasure development, countermeasure implementation, and evaluation once they are implemented. The evaluation component will have a significant benefit to ODOT as time goes on by tracking the effectiveness of safety countermeasures which in turn can be shared across the state as best practices. The Safety and Congestion Work Plan also allows ODOT to map and overlay identified safety locations, programmed projects, and on-going studies to get a visual representation of the information and to perform spatial data analysis. Data analysis tools have been developed in conjunction with the Safety and Congestion Work Plan to improve ODOT’s ability to efficiently and effectively analyze high crash locations and implement solutions on the highway system. Crash statistics and data are crucial for the analysis of safety trends and identifying high-crash locations. Historically, the department has had difficulty obtaining timely, reliable and comprehensive crash data because of a reliance on the many different county and municipal reporting entities throughout Ohio. ODOT has developed a great working relationship with ODPS and other safety partners to improve the quality, timeliness and availability of crash data. With reliable data, ODOT has systematically been able to identify problem locations based on crash frequency, crash rate, severity, and congestion. The Safety and Congestion Work Plan integrates all of the information into one centralized location eliminating redundant tracking and monitoring systems as well as the ability to monitor the project’s effectiveness on highway safety.

Pennsylvania 2006 Safety Activities 1. SMART & MAST Team concept :

Pennsylvania will implement its Comprehensive Strategic Highway Safety Improvement Plan (CSHSIP) through the Multi Agency Safety Team (MAST), and the Safety Multi Agency Roads Teams (SMART). The MAST includes leadership from various state agencies, and will fulfill the following functions:

o Approve the Comprehensive Strategic Highway Safety Improvement Plan prior to submission to FHWA,

o Oversee implementation of the plan, o Prepare the quarterly summary of achievements and successes for the Governor’s Office, o Enforce accountability for deficient areas by reviewing actions/reports from task groups

(SMART group). o The MAST group also evaluates the plan, initiates redirection of priorities, and request

revisions to the plan. The SMART teams comprise working level managers and representatives from various agencies encompassing the “4E’s” of highway safety (Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Emergency Response). The SMART groups will be responsible for implementing the strategies in the plan by functioning as the action teams / task groups. They will be provided with clear direction, funding, and human resources needed to accomplish their goals. The SMART teams will also identify roadblocks to implementation of actions and report to MAST, incorporate cost effective strategies and additional proven strategies not included in the CSHSIP, prepare quarterly progress reports for MAST, and use pertinent data analysis and results to adjust action plans.

2. District Safety Plans:

Pennsylvania has incorporated the use of District Safety Plans for each of its 11 Engineering Districts to improve highway safety. The District Safety Plan will include historic fatality information and the District Safety Goals in terms of fatalities and fatality rates. At its core, the District Safety Plan will include lists of planned safety projects (both location-specific and those planned for wide-scale implementation), and initiatives chosen by using local crash data in various safety focus areas in alignment with the statewide Comprehensive Strategic Highway Safety Improvement Plan (CSHSIP). The District works with the planning partners (MPOs and RPOs) as per the safety project selection guidance criteria to mitigate safety problems at high-risk intersections and roadways in the state. Implementation of these projects and initiatives should result in greatly reduced crashes and fatalities. The projects and initiatives are divided into separate sections (or lists) in the District Safety Plan based on the following categories:

1. TIP (Non-HSIP, Section 148) Safety Projects 2. Section 148 (HSIP) Projects 3. Low Cost Safety Improvement Projects ($10 Million Gov. Budget Initiative) 4. Other Maintenance Safety Projects 5. Local Road Safety Projects and Initiatives 6. Safety Press Officer Planned Activities (Soft Side Initiatives such as DUI / Seat Belts / Aggressive

Driving)

3. Crash data completion 3/31/06 for 2005 – backlog elimination The backlog of 200,000 crash cases has been reduced to less than 1,000 through the use of automated scanning process at the Department of Revenue and through the use of round-the-clock crash case processing with college interns and electronic submission from police departments, the backlog was reduced and we are now up-to-date with our crash case processing.

4. Data driven grant activities – performance measurements

High priority safety focus areas have been identified for each grantee. Grantees were given prioritize action item list for each safety focus areas to develop their grant proposal. They are required to utilize 75% of grant resources to focus on high priority safety focus area action items. Each grant will be evaluated at the end of grant period. The byproducts of the reorganized grant program are evidenced through individual projects which are data driven and focused; grant programs which are performance based and measurable; a highway safety network which does not reflect duplication of services or misguided resources; and a network which through the regionalization of all grant programs works together to design a structure/unified approach to address all primary Safety Focus areas.

5. Aggressive Driving and Motorcycle fatalities went up

Pennsylvania’s fatality for 2005 went up to 1,616 from 1,490 in 2004. If we did not have any increase in aggressive driving and motorcycle related fatalities, our total fatality would have been 5% lower than 2004. In June, we are starting “Smooth Operator” program to combat aggressive driving joining neighbor states such as Maryland.

Texas 2006 Safety Activities

• Statewide surveys show increased safety belt use by drivers and front seat passengers

up to 89.9% in 2005. • Approximately $276 million in Hazard Elimination projects were programmed in 2008-

2009 Program Call. This includes: $118 million in widening projects $89 million in various types of work $34.6 million in grade separation projects $26 million in cable barrier projects $8.7 million in left turn lane projects

A separate Hazard Elimination Program Call for off system projects was made this year. The program is currently being evaluated.

• More than half of the 644 Safety Bond Projects have been let to contract. These

projects will be widening narrow, two-lane roadways to at least 24 feet, installing left turn lanes at highway intersections and installing concrete or cable barriers in the center of divided highways.

• A contractor is working on development of the framework of a Comprehensive Highway

Safety Plan. • A new policy on the use of centerline and transverse rumble strips is being implemented

along with revisions to the edgeline rumble strip standards. • Texas implemented a Buckle Up in Your Truck and Click it or Ticket campaigns this

month. An Impaired Driving Mobilization is planned for Labor Day. • The E-Grant System is under development to create an interactive web-based

electronic grant management program for the 402 Traffic Safety Grant Program. • An annual traffic operations assessment program (Texas Traffic Operations

Assessment Program) administered out of the division office assesses permanent traffic control devices in all 25 districts. The goal is uniformity of traffic control devices across the state while improving driver safety.

• Texas is developing plans for contraflowing over 1,000 miles of highways during a

hurricane evacuation of the Texas Gulf Coast. • Texas hosted Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities in April.

Washington 2006 Safety Activities The Washington State Department of Transportation has a range of approaches to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclist. The Department publishes a quarterly performance report known as the Gray Notebook. The December edition provided a comprehensive annual update for the Highway Safety efforts. The report can be found on the WSDOT Accountability Webpage: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/ The report included summaries of “Before” and “After” studies of Safety Projects, the Low Cost Enhancement Program, Projects targeted at High Accident Locations and Corridors, Cable Median Barrier Performance, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety. Of particular interest to the SCOHTS may be the Cable Median Barrier Performance Report. As reported during the roundtable session last year, public concerns were raised along a section of I-5 near Marysville due to an increasing number of crashes and the large number of crossover collisions. As a result, WSDOT conducted a comprehensive review of traffic safety on I-5 through Marysville. To see the full report go to http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/maintenance/barriers/Marysville/default.htm *** An excerpt of the December 2005 “Gray Book” follows on the next page.

West Virginia 2006 Safety Activities • In 2005, WV experienced an eleven percent reduction in highway related fatalities

from the previous year.

• Multi-agency Highway Safety Management Task Force continues to meet regularly to develop the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Nine emphasis areas have been identified and with teams assigned to develop strategies in those areas.

• Redesign of the crash form is nearing completion. It is 100% MMUCC (Model

Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria) compliant. As a related project, WV is in the procurement process for electronic crash/citation software, anticipating an RFP in June.

• WV recently advertised a contract for the installation of continuous reference markers

on four-lane rural expressways which currently have only small reference markers (zero mile point begins at each county line) which are utilized mainly for maintenance activities rather than for motorist emergencies.

• Conducting field reviews of the top 100 two-lane US and WV routes (countywide

segments) with high lane departure rates to implement where appropriate, shoulder widening, enhanced curve signing, centerline rumble strips and edge line rumble stripes.

• Seatbelt usage rate is up to 85% in West Virginia

• West Virginia has experienced a greater than 30 percent reduction in the number of

alcohol related motor vehicle fatalities since 2001. This is attributed to the implementation of high visibility sustained enforcement efforts and extensive media (You Drink, You Drive, You Lose) campaigns. With these strides, WV’s alcohol related crash rate is still above the national average.

• Implementing “Happy Hour” DUI checkpoints. It has generally been WV’s practice to

start checkpoints after 9:00 PM. The first Happy Hour checkpoint yielded numerous arrests.

• The integrity of the motorcycle helmet law is still intact although it has been targeted

as a possible barrier to West Virginia experiencing a motorcycle tourism boom.

AAMVA Report to AASHTO Highway Safety Committee May 2006

Highway Safety Best Practices Over the past year, AAMVA has accomplished the following activities in support of establishing and maintaining best practices in the areas of Commercial Driver Licensing and Driver Fitness.

1. Commercial Driver Licensing (CDL): In response to the need to increase the uniformity and enhance the integrity of the CDL programs AAMVA, in conjunction with, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), AAMVA member jurisdictions, Test Maintenance Subcommittee (TMS) and private sector, developed best practices for the testing and licensing of commercial drivers. A manual has been created that captures the best practices for all aspects of commercial driver licensing process specifically:

• Applying for a CDL • Ensuring proper ID of applicant • Determination of eligibility • Screening • Testing • License issuance

A significant component of the best practices includes the update and revision of the road and basic skill testing as well as the vehicle inspection process. The revision and update focused on making these aspects easier to administer, score and to be more useful in making appropriate licensing decisions. New driver and examiner manuals and knowledge tests were developed and issued to jurisdictions for their implementation.

2. Driver Fitness: In March 2006, AAMVA and the Canadian Council of Motor Vehicle Administrator (CCMTA) held a forum called “Challenging Myths and Opening Minds: Aging and the Medically At-Risk-Driver” in Austin Texas. The forum that was sponsored by BHSTA, AAA, AARP and the CAA drew 150 participants. It was designed to educate the driver licensing community on the medically at-risk-driver and offered discussion on topics such as the legal and medical considerations, the screening, assessment and testing and the possible strategies on forming statewide partnerships. The forum was a success and participants endorsed holding a follow-up forum in two years.

DVRPC 2006 Safety Activities

DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION DVRPC is the bi-state MPO for the Greater Philadelphia, Camden, Trenton area. Regional Safety Task Force An outcome from Local Safety Conscious Planning forums held in both states, the Regional Safety Task Force is a multi-disciplinary conglomerate of safety professionals and stakeholders, whose main purpose is to promote safety in the region through the sharing and pooling of all types of information and resources. The task force first met in September 2005 and continues to meet quarterly with an average participation of 75 safety partners. Other functions of the task force include:

- Comprehensive partnering - Guiding and directing the Commission’s safety conscious planning program - Conduit to integrating safety at all planning levels - Address concerns and ensure regional specific issues are addressed in SHSPs - Collective voice on safety policy and legislative issues - Central role in the development of the MPO’s Regional Safety Action Plan

The focus is diverse, multi-discipline (engineering, education, enforcement, emergency services and funding) and multi-modal (automobile, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, trains). Regional Safety Action Plan Drawing on the vision, goals and objectives of DVRPC’s Long Range Plan, Destination 2030 and considering the Delaware Valley region is unique to both states it was imperative a regional safety plan be developed to address region-specific safety issues. Goal – Reducing fatalities and crashes in the region Approach – Collaborative, working with DVRPC staff from different units and members of the Regional Safety Task Force representing the 4Es. This enables the plan to proceed in a coordinated, comprehensive, cohesive manner thus preventing confusion, leveraging support, stretching resources and getting all to think in a regional perspective. Methodology – The region is rife with agencies and organizations involved with transportation safety. The Plan will integrate and draw upon the experience of these organizations. Existing safety projects and programs in the region will be integrated and enhanced and new projects and programs will be developed. DVRPC has been working with 13 emphasis areas but priority areas will be identified from these through a data-driven collaborative process. Challenges – Data incompatibility between the two states; legislative participation; consensus building due to diversity; implementation of selected strategies. Successes – Improve crash data base; development of algorithm for crash cluster finder; fitting/addressing emergency services in overall plan and continued participation Strategic Highway Safety Plan New Jersey Department of Transportation – DVRPC played an active role on the Emphasis Area Task Teams which established goals and identified strategies. Currently, the commission staff is involved in the draft review process and will continue to be involved through implementation.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation – DVRPC provided technical assistance to PennDOT District 6 for selection of projects to be included in the SHSP. As the plan moves to implementation, DVRPC will remain an integral part of the process through Safety Multi-Agency Roads Team (SMART) task groups. DVRPC’s Annual Work Program Through DVRPC internal Safety Committee, safety is being addressed in all projects and programs as appropriate. Here are some ways in which it is being addressed. Transportation Safety Program – this is an on-going project through which a number of safety activities are programmed, including the Regional Safety Action Plan and Task Force, crash data analysis, safety research and training programs for locals

Congestion Management Process – In the update of the DVRPC Congestion Management Process, the definition and analysis of congestion was based on eight criteria, one of which is frequent crash-related congestion. Sections of road with twice or more the rate of crashes for that state’s functional class are identified. Strategies that improve safety are specifically recommended and this is the only set of strategies with such a blanket recommendation. The CMP helps focus federal transportation funding on improving safety through this analysis.

TIP – some of the smaller capital safety projects funded through the TIP are: improving the visibility of road signs, lane markings and traffic signals, including the use of higher intensity LED technology and battery backup for power outages. Others are providing designated bike lanes on streets and roadways; constructing off-road facilities for trucks; the redesign of high accident intersection locations; channelization improvements; extension of freeway accel/decel lanes, and rail-highway grade crossing improvements.

Incident Management Task Force – Currently DVRPC coordinates 2 task forces concentrated around problem interchanges on the interstate system. Due their success, the agency is in the process of establishing/assisting in the establishment of several others in the region. A Policy and Procedure manual was developed by the I-295/I-76/NJ42 Task Force to document uniform operational guidelines for the safe operations at the scene of an incident. This is being used by other regions as a model for their own guidelines. Staring in FY07 a number of new safety projects will begin and these include: Road Safety Audit; Regional Roundabout Analysis; Traffic Incident Data Management System; Safe Routes to School Planning; Transportation System Security