full presentation 8.17.17 - center for urban ... · 2017-08-17 · 8/17/2017 12 case study...

8/17/2017

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Center for Urban Transportation Research | University of South Florida

TCRP Synthesis Report 126:

Successful Practices and Training Initiatives to Reduce Bus Accidents and Incidents

at Transit Agencies

CUTR Webcast August 17, 2017

Lisa Staes and Jodi Godfrey

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Outline

• Background and objectives

• Research methods

• Survey results

• Case studies

• Common threads

• Lessons learned

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

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Background and Objectives

MAP‐21 and FAST Act have been the basis of FTA’s evolving regulatory narrative for transit agencies. Of specific relevance to this study:

1. SMS framework – which will be enforced by FTA through safety oversight responsibilities

2. PTSCP – the Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program – currently voluntary for bus only systems

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Background and Objectives

The primary objective of this synthesis is to document public transit agency bus operator training programs and other strategies that have been successful in reducing accidents and incidents, resulting in safer transit systems for the communities they serve.

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RESEARCH METHODS

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Research Methods

• Literature review

• Survey disseminated to 42 transit agencies

– 88% response rate (37 responses) achieved

• Interviews with 11 case study sites began on March 17, 2016 and concluded on May 2, 2016

• Final report issued by TRB – February 2017

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SURVEY SUMMARY

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Survey Summary

• The 28‐question survey was divided into the following sections:

– System characteristics

– Accident review and risk assessment

– Bus operator training

– Use of technologies

– Other agency policies

– Model practices

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Survey Summary –System characteristics

• How many operators does your agency employ?

– Responses ranged from 3 full‐time bus operators in Montana to 11,500 full‐time bus operators in New York City

• What is your Bus and Van fleet size?

– Responses ranged from less than 20 buses to more than 5,700

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Survey Summary – Accident Review and Risk Assessment

• Do you have an accident review board?

– 87% of responding agencies have an accident review board or a similar process

• What are the roles of the review board?

– 94% are tasked with determining preventability

– 52% identify areas of risk

• Does your agency track causal factors?

– 92% track contributing factors of safety related events

• Does your agency utilize a database or electronic reporting system to track safety incidents?

– 83% use a database or electronic reporting

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• What are the most prevalent contributing factors?

78%73%

46%41%

19% 16%

0%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Human factors(Not Following

Policy orProcedure)

Distractions Human factors(TrainingRelated)

Disobeying/NotObserving

Traffic Laws

Fatigue Other (pleasedescribe)

SubstanceAbuse/Misuse

Sh

are

of

Ag

ency

Res

po

nd

ents


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13

• How are safety related issues identified?

89% 89%

68% 68%

49%

38%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Tracking datatrends

Accident reviewreports

Internal safetyreviews

Other employeereporting (verbal,comment cards,

supervisor ordispatch

observations)

Review of busoperator reportingsoftware/telemetric

systems

Employee closecall or near miss

reporting

Sh

are

of

Ag

ency

Res

po

nd

ents


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Survey Summary – Bus Operator Training & Other Methods

• What methods were used to mitigate safety issues, and were those methods successful?

100% 100%95% 89% 87%

81%

68%

97%

87%

76%

62% 65%

57% 54%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Refreshertraining

Training Remedialtraining

Technologyapplications

Safetycampaigns/promotions

Safetybulletins

Safetyperformance

awards

Sh

are

of

Ag

ency

Res

po

nd

ents

Methods Used Successful Methods

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15

11%

25%

36%

28%Quarterly

Bi-Annually

Annually

Other (please specify)

Survey Summary –Bus Operator Training

• Do you offer refresher safety training?

– 100% of respondents offer refresher training

– 61% offer specifically targeted refresher training

• How often do you provide refresher training?

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C. Bus operator training

• What topics are covered in operator refresher training?

94% 92% 89%83% 81% 78%

72%

61%

25%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Safetypolicies/

procedures

Defensivedriving

Distracteddriving

Customerrelations

Safetyincident/

emergencymanagement

Wheelchairsecurement

Fatigue andwellness

Security Other(pleasespecify)

Sh

are

of

Ag

ency

Res

po

nd

ents


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C. Bus operator training

• What delivery method is used for training & at what frequency is each method used?

87%

77%

48%

29%

16%13%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Instructor leadtraining

Behind thewheel

Call-in/dispatchsafety training

Online training Simulatortraining

Other, pleasespecify

Sh

are

of

Ag

ency

Res

po

nd

ents


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Survey Summary –Use of Technologies

• Which safety technologies are utilized at your agency?

6%

14%

33%

33%

36%

67%

78%

78%

81%

86%

86%

94%

100%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Collision avoidance systems

Pedestrian warning devices

Driver monitoring/ reporting programs

Special rear vehicle treatments

Road or right-of-way treatments

Electronic data recorders

Stop announcements

Video data recorders

Exterior vehicle security cameras

Facility security cameras

Driver activated “panic” button

Onboard security cameras

Vehicle tracking system

Share of Agency Respondents

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• Have the technologies resulted in documented safety improvements?

No Success42%

Video25%

Driver Monitoring17%

Other Success11%

Rear Vehicle Treatments

5%

SuccessfulTechnology Applications

58%

Survey Summary –Use of Technologies

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Survey Summary –Other Agency Policies

71% 69%

92% 92%

29% 31%

8% 8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Require OutsideEmployment

Reporting

Require Over-the-Counter Medication

Use Reporting

Distracted DrivingPolicy

Operator's HoursPolicy

Sh

are

of

Ag

enc

y R

esp

on

den

ts

Yes No

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Survey Summary - Model practices

• Model practices responses included:

– Comprehensive training program – new hires, refresher, and remedial

– Review and update training materials

– Organization wide accountability

– Collaboration between operations and safety

– Include labor union from the beginning

– Proactive risk assessment

– Holistic approach to incident reviews

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CASE STUDIES

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Case Study Agencies

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Charlotte Area Transit

• Video surveillance was indicated as most effective technology application in use

– Substantiate complaints

– Identify poor driving behaviors

– Preemptively address issues before incidents occur

– Use for training purposes

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• Community engagement also reported as successful

– International Bus Operator Appreciation Day (passengers are encouraged to thank an operator for what they do)

– Personal responsibility safety campaign that asks the public to take a pledge to stay alert and avoid distractions

– CATS “See Say” app enables riders to alert transit police if they see something of concern

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0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Jan-

14

Feb

-14

Mar

-14

Apr

-14

May

-14

Jun-

14

Jul-1

4

Aug

-14

Sep

-14

Oct

-14

Nov

-14

Dec

-14

Jan-

15

Feb

-15

Mar

-15

Apr

-15

May

-15

Jun-

15

Jul-1

5

Aug

-15

Sep

-15

Oct

-15

Nov

-15

Dec

-15

Jan-

16

Feb

-16

Mar

-16P

reve

nta

ble

Co

llis

ion

s p

er 1

00K

Mil

es

CATS Preventable Bus Incident Rate

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City of Madison –Metro Transit• Revamped training

– Increased focus on driving

– Described benefits to having as few a two trainees per instructor per bus

– Allocated more resources to training

– Hired more trainers

– Reduced class sizes

– Assigned additional training bus to ensure each trainee has 4 to 5 hours of BTW per day of training

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• Annual refresher training– Roundtable discussion structure: “Madison Metro Safety Roundabout”

– Gathers safety concerns directly from bus operators

– Focus additional training on these areas of concern

• All initiatives have resulted in a 24%reduction in preventable collisions from 2008 ‐ 2015

City of Madison –Metro Transit

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City of Madison –Metro Transit

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

200

3

200

4

200

5

200

6

200

7

200

8

200

9

201

0

201

1

201

2

201

3

201

4

201

5

Pre

ven

tab

le/C

har

ge

able

C

olli

sio

ns

Metro Preventable/Chargeable Collisions

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• Two new safety positions: Manager of Safety Training and Manager of Transportation Operations

• New bus operators must complete “qualifying training” to ensure their capabilities and route familiarization– Quizzed on every route in the system

• Defensive driving course is 4 hours long –required of new operators, but selected by existing operators (receive discount for their personal vehicle insurance)

Greater Bridgeport Transit

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• Safety Vision on‐board surveillance coupled with AVL allows managers to fully understand safety events

• Most successful practice: “teamwork”

• Improvements attributed to combination of many initiatives

• Improved preventable rate since initiation of restructuring in 2012


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0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Oct

-12

Dec

-12

Fe

b-13

Apr

-13

Jun-

13

Aug

-13

Oct

-13

Dec

-13

Fe

b-14

Apr

-14

Jun-

14

Aug

-14

Oct

-14

Dec

-14

Fe

b-15

Apr

-15

Jun-

15

Aug

-15

Oct

-15

Dec

-15

Fe

b-16P

reve

nta

ble

In

cid

ents

per

100

K M

iles

GBT Preventable Incident Rate

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• LYTX DriveCam installed fleet‐wide (2014)– Significant reductions in unsafe behaviors– Posted speed violations– Red light violations– Improved seat belt usage*

• Open and honest dialogue with employees• “Relentless” pursuit of improvement• Recognizing and rewarding employees for exceptional safety performance

• Teamwork between Safety & Operations• Consistent, agency‐wide understood definition of safety

Greater Cleveland RTA

*From literature review

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Greater Cleveland RTA

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

2014 2015 2016

Pre

ven

tab

le C

olli

sio

n R

ate

per

100

K

Mile

s

Trickett District Hayden District

RTA Preventable Collision Rate

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Jacksonville Transportation Authority

• Installed DriveCam in 2015 – 50% reduction in unsafe decision making and 40% reduction in judgement errors and traffic violations

• 90% reduction in riskiest bus operator behaviors in first 9 months

• “Keep it in Your Pocket” distracted driving campaign

• Training simulator is used at JTA, primarily for new bus operator training– They can repeat the situation until the proper actions and reactions areautomatic.

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Jacksonville Transportation Authority

JTA Preventable versus Non‐Preventable Collision Rate

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Preventable Collisions Non-Preventable Collisions

Co

llisi

on

s p

er 1

00K

Mile

s

2012

2013

2014

2015

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Kansas City Area Transportation Authority

• Five point plan – the five “E”s – began in 2013

• Objectives

– Eliminate pedestrian collisions

– Reduce auto liability costs by 10%

– Reduce on‐board incidents by 15%

– Reduce bus collisions by 10%

• Targeted focus on pedestrian awareness and hazards of blind spots – new and fresher training

• Pedestrian Safety Week and Pedestrian Safety Tips communicated throughout the agency

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• Suggested passenger and pedestrian safety campaigns and programs be considered model for agencies cross the country

• Use of simulator reported as “absolutely effective” – also used to identify color blindness

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3

5

1

5

4

2

5

3

1

1

0

0

0 2 4 6 8 10

All Other Pedestrian accidents

Between Intersections (Jay walking)

At loading zone

At crosswalk

Number of Collisions

2013 2014 2015

KCATA Collisions with Pedestrians by Location Type

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KCATA Total Claims Paid

$-

$400,000

$800,000

$1,200,000

$1,600,000

$2,000,000

2012 2013 2014 2015

Tota

l Val

ue

of

Cla

ims

Pai

d

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King County Metro

• Mandatory annual refresher training for all bus operators, with a focus on pedestrian awareness – includes distracted driving and left turn movements (squared left turn)

• An upgraded ride check program to ensure operators are using proper safety practices

• Statistical analysis focusing on the times and locations of accidents, so operators know when and where to expect the greatest risk

• Recruitment and development of senior operators as “Safety Champions”

• Operator Assaults Reduction Initiative

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King County Metro

“Outhouse Journals”

Safety Reminder

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King County Metro

• Reduction in both preventable and non‐preventables

• Significant reduction in pedestrian incidents(35% from 2013 to 2014)

• Liability claims reduced

• Credits success to vigorous and focused safety meetings, training, and follow‐up on safety issues; open communications policy; ability to contribute through committees and working groups

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Lane Transit District

• Agency‐wide focus on customer service: Customer service attributes are more highly valued than years of driving experience

• Advertisements for new operators are placed in the customer service category rather than the driving category

• Identifies the Smith Driving System as highly effective – attributing a 27% decrease of accidents since its implementation

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• Monthly review of all accidents, preventable and non‐preventable, that occurred during the previous month with incident photos and videos initiate discussion among operators and give them “what went right” and “what went wrong” perspectives

• Visualizing the impacts major collisions and hard braking incidents have on LTD passengers, has made a very strong impression on their bus operators

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020406080

100120140160180200

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

*

2008

2009

2010

*

2011

2012

2013

*

2014

2015

Nu

mb

er o

f A

ccid

ents

Total Accidents Preventable Accidents

Total Accidents and Preventable Accidents at LTD

* Snow and icy conditions inflated incident totals

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SolTrans(by National Express)

• Smith Driving System was reported as very useful

• Mixing time BTW with classroom each daydescribed as increasing retention

• Suggested national standard of 20 hours BTW training required for new operators (SolTransrequires 25 hours)

• Focus on treating employees as internal customers

• 71% decrease in incidents from first six months of 2013 to end of 2013 – passenger falls and employee injuries also decreased

• Safety trends continue to improve

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SolTrans(by National Express)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

2013 2014 2015

Acc

iden

ts p

er 1

00K

Mile

s

Total Accident Rate

Preventable Accident Rate

SolTrans Total Accident and Preventable Accident Rate

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2013 2014 2015

Inju

ries

per

200

K M

an

Ho

urs

Wo

rked

Total injury Rate

Lost Time Injury Rate

SolTrans Total Injury Rate and Lost Time Injury Rate

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25

49

TriMet

• Safety is the reported “core value” and the lens used to make operational, planning, and strategic decisions

• Sharpened focus on pedestrian collisions

– Community outreach: “Be Seen, Be Safety,” “Stay Alert, Stay Alive”

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TriMet

• Safety Education Advisory Committee – TriMet personnel and community representatives

• Transit Change and Review Committee –reviews every accident to determine if there are organizational factors that influence collisions

• Task Force on Safety and Service Excellence– “How to migrate TriMet to the highest levels of safety performance, and thereby improve performance in all areas of its business”

• Training and safety are not mutually exclusive, but go hand‐in‐hand, along with customer service

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TriMet

-

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Co

llisi

on

s p

er 1

00K

Mile

sTriMet Collision Rate

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Utah Transit Authority • Installation of SmartDrive camera systems in 2014 identified as impactful

– Unsafe driving behaviors

– Incident investigation

– Coaching bus operators

– Training tool: refresher and remedial

– Data collection and analysis

• The rear of the bus was updated with a camera and an illuminated “YIELD” sign to increase visibility and reduce rear‐end collisions

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Utah Transit Authority • Training –new hire and annual recertification consistently evaluated and modified as needed (received approval to extend new bus operator training by 3 days)

• 16 hours of refresher training approved for 2016

• From 2012 to 2015, “avoidable” collisions reduced by 36%

• Public Ordinance 5‐1‐M

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Utah Transit Authority

0

50

100

150

200

250

2012 2013 2014 2015

Nu

mb

er o

f A

void

able

Co

llisi

on

s

UTA Avoidable Bus Collisions

175

180

185

190

195

200

205

210

215

2012 2013 2014 2015

Nu

mb

er o

f C

laim

s

Number of Claims Payments Made by UTA

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COMMON THREADS

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Common Threads

• All case study agencies have adopted and enforced distracted driving/wireless distraction policies and procedures. The majority of the agencies have “zero‐tolerance” for these violations

• All case study agencies apply multiple approaches in addressing areas of critical safety concern

• All case study agencies work across teams to improve transit safety and this process is supported by and the culture is set by their CEO/GM

• All case studies perform thorough accident and incident investigation and utilize audio/video recordings in their examination

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Common Threads

• All agencies have a structured process for data collection, analysis, and review

• All case study agencies provide regular, comprehensive refresher training for their bus operators

– Most agencies provide this refresher training on an annual basis and many deliver training content during monthly or quarterly bus operator safety meetings

– The use of actual on‐board video and audio recordings in refresher and remedial training, and in counseling sessions with specific bus operators, was stated as valuable by all case study agencies

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Common Threads

• Each agency recognizes the value of their employees to their organizations

• Each provides bus operators opportunities for input and engagement with transit agencies leadership

• Four case study locations that use telemetric operator monitoring systems discussed the value of these systems for modifying driver behavior and improving system safety

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LESSONS LEARNED

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Lessons Learned

• Successful programs – multipronged or multifaceted coordinated efforts to address transit safety

• The importance of recurring refresher training could not be overstated by the case study agencies. Each agency has found success in their safety improvement programs, of which training was reported as a central element

• When used in conjunction with a safety management plan – incentive programs can be successful in improving the safety of the system, morale, and employee‐employer relationships by increasing the focus on positive behavior

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Lessons Learned

• Working closely with members of the labor union when implementing new programs, procedures, or technology applications is vital

• Technology applications and associated tools ‐contribute to a better understanding of past events and behaviors that could be causal or contributing in future events

• It is important to give technology applications a sufficient trial period, adopting a “in it for the long run” mentality, avoiding programs that are overly punitive, and consistently delivering a message that reminds employees “why we’re doing this and what the costs are if we don’t”

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QUESTIONS

Center for Urban Transportation ResearchUniversity of South Florida

Lisa StaesTransit Safety and Workforce Development Programs [email protected]

Jodi GodfreyResearch Associate [email protected]

full presentation 8.17.17 - center for urban ... · 2017-08-17 · 8/17/2017 12 case study...

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