1. 8th Annual Michigan Traffic Safety Summit Guidance for Implementation of AASHTO’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan Timothy R. Neuman, PE Vice President and Chief Highway Engineer CH2M HILL

2. Presentation Summary Overview of AAHTO’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan Implementation Guides –Intersections –Older Drivers A ‘charge’ to our professions

3. A strategic plan for highway safety that will positively impact the nation’s present and predicted statistics on vehicular related death and injury. Comprehensive in nature and reflects input from many participating safety organizations.

4. SHSP Participating Safety Organizations USDOTAAAARTBA AASHTOAAMVARSF NAGHSRAARPATSSA NTSBNSCGMC MADDATA IIHSTRB

5. SHSP Plan Goal is to Reduce Highway Fatalities

6. 6 main elements are addressed within the Strategic Highway Safety Plan 1. Drivers 2. Special (Other) Users 3. Vehicles 4. Highways 5. Emergency Medical Services 6. Management

7. The Strategic Highway Safety Plan Focuses on 22 Emphasis Areas Emphasis Areas are specific safety issue areas related to the 6 Elements There are 92 suggested strategies supporting the 22 Emphasis Areas

8. Presentation Focus Emphasis area 17. Improving the design and operation of highway intersections (‘Highway Element’) Emphasis area 3. Sustaining proficiency in older drivers

9. NCHRP Project 17-18 (03)—of AASHTO’s SHSP CH2M HILL Prime Contractor –Maron Engineering (Ron Pfefer co-PI) –Midwest Research Institute –University of North Carolina HSRC –Bellomo-McGee, Inc –Northwestern University Center for Public Safety –Dr. Pat Waller

10. NCHRP 17-18 (3) Emphasis Areas Phase I (completed) –Aggressive Driving –Suspended/ Revoked Drivers –Run Off Road –Head On –Trees in Hazardous Locations –Unsignalized Intersections Phase II (ongoing) –Truck-related –Pedestrian –Utility Poles –Curves –Signalized Intersections –Older Drivers –Unbelted Drivers and Occupants

11. NCHRP Project 17-18(3)— Guidance for Reducing Fatal Crashes Produce “guidebooks” and web-based materials to facilitate agency implementation of SHSP objectives (3 phases; 17 guides) Guides present low-cost, readily implementable strategies –Proven effective –Experimental/innovative –Comprehensive Audience is state DOTs and other agencies (county, municipal)

12. Content of Guides and Web Materials Background on extent and nature of the problem Strategies to address the problem –Proven –Tried –Experimental Model implementation process Profiles of successful implementation

13. Guidebook Development Process Strategy and “best practices” identification (literature review, surveys, phone interviews) Workshops and Tree Symposium involving agency leaders Selection of Demonstration Agencies Demonstration of Guides Final Revisions and Publication

14. Working Materials Developed by Project Team Under 17-18 (3) Printed Guides for developing programs to address fatal crashes Website for collecting and disseminating information on program development and effectiveness, and in-depth technical background; maintain currency of knowledge base

15. Strategy Discussion Outline – Target Crashes – Expected Effectiveness – Keys to Success – Potential Difficulties – Appropriate Measures and Data – Associated Needs for, or relation to, Support Services (e.g., Public Information and Education, Traffic Law Enforcement, and Emergency Medical Services) – Organizational, Institutional and Policy Issues – Interagency Participation – Issues Affecting Implementation Time – Costs Involved – Training and Other Personnel Needs – Legislative Needs

16. Intersections are clearly a high priority (over 20% of fatal crashes occur at intersections)

17. Signalized Intersection Strategies

19. Strategies for Sustaining Proficiency in Older Drivers

21. Agencies are encouraged to adopt stretch goals for achieving the vision “Were states, counties, local communities and the federal government fully commit to the vision of the SHSP, it would be possible to reduce the toll of highway fatalities and injuries by as much as 15,000 fatalities, and upwards of 1 million injuries annually. This represents a staggering 30 to 40 percent reduction in the safety risk of highway travel in the U.S.” Final Report, NCHRP Project 8-36 (Task 26)

22. Effective implementation will involve multiple stakeholders State and County DOTs State and local law enforcement State licensing Emergency medical services Education professionals Private sector

23. Organizational Factors Affecting Implementation Completely Successful Implementation Partial or Incomplete Implementation Driving ForcesRestraining Forces

24. Restraining Forces (Barriers to SHSP Implementation) Costs to reach AASHTO goals estimated as $6.4 to $9.2 billion capital, and $370 to $500 million annual costs Competing priorities Lack of a true ‘safety culture’ throughout organizations Downsizing and retirements of skilled DOT staff Information and knowledge gap –Type (safety data, technology transfer of knowledge) –State, county, local

25. Improving safety will require trade-offs Safer signal operations versus ‘efficiency’ Prioritizing enforcement based on safety concerns

26. Driving forces that will help us achieve the AASHTO Goals Leadership at the upper management level Growing public concerns about highway safety Demands of Context Sensitive Solutions movement

27. Accessing the Guides Unsignalized Intersection Guide is published as NCHRP Report 500-x Other Guides are in the Demonstration Phase Website address: http://transportation1.org/safetyplan/ http://transportation1.org/safetyplan/ Questions: –Timothy Neuman: tneuman@ch2m.com –Kevin Slack: kslack@ch2m.com

28. Questions and Discussion

29. CONTACT Timothy R. Neuman Chief Highway Engineer CH2M Hill 8501 W. Higgins Road, Suite 300 Chicago, Illinois 60631 (773) 693-3800 ext. 233 email: tneuman@ch2m.com

30. This presentation was made to the 8th Annual Michigan Traffic Safety Summit in Grand Rapids, MI in April 2003. It is provided for reference only. Use of all or any part of this presentation for commercial purposes is prohibited without the written permission of CH2M HILL.  Copyright 2003, CH2M HILL