usRAP Road Assessment Program

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usRAPRoad Assessment Program
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AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

• Established in 1947
• 501 (c)(3) Not-For-Profit
• Research Affiliate of AAA and AAA Motor Clubs
• North American Focus

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Funded through the generosity of and its
members
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Mission

• Identify traffic safety problems
• Foster research that seeks solutions
• Disseminate information and educational materials

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usRAP Background

• Unacceptably high socio-economic toll from
  traffic crashes
• Culture of complacency
• Under investment in safety
• Road safety management can be enhanced with more
  money new tools
• Politics vs. evidence-based decisions

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usRAP Background

• Data limitations in many agencies
• Wide variation in analysis and evaluation tools
• Insufficient appreciation of relative
  contribution of vehicle, operator road factors
• No systematic system to assess road safety risks
• Little transparency

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RAP Road Assessment Programs

• Started in Europe in 2001
• Inspired by EuroNCAP
• EuroRAP now has almost 20 countries
• AusRAP usRAP Pilots
• New iRAP efforts

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RAP Objectives

• Help cut death and serious injury rates through
  systematic risk assessment which identify major
  safety shortcomings amenable to practical remedy
• Ensure that strategic decisions are linked to
  risk assessment
• Forge partnerships among those responsible for a
  safe road system

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usRAP Pilot

• Initiated in 2004
• Initial pilot studies in Iowa Michigan
• First public release of findings in Spring 2006
• Additional pilots planned in other states

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usRAP Team

• Sponsor
• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
• Research Team
• Midwest Research Institute
• Iowa State University

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usRAP Advisory Panel

• FHWA
• AASHTO
• State highway agencies
• Local highway agencies
• Auto clubs
• NACE
• ITE
• AHU RSF
• ATSSA

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The Three RAP Protocols

• Risk Mapping
• maps of death and serious injury risk for road
  users
• Road Protection Score
• star rating based on inspecting road features
  that protect users from serious injury or death
• Performance Tracking
• comparisons of safety performance for roadway
  sections over time

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usRAP Pilot Project Scope

• Technical feasibility
• Political feasibility
• Pilot tests in Michigan and Iowa
• Advisory panel meetings
• Recommendations for implementation

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Risk Maps

• Focus on rural road system
• State primary routes
• County primary roads
• Homogeneous road segments
• Segment length sufficient to provide meaningful
  results

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Types of Risk Maps

• Map 1 crash density (crashes/mi)
• Map 2 crash rate (crashes per 100 million
  veh-mi)
• Map 3 crash rate ratio
• Map 4 potential savings

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Types of Risk Maps

• Other risk maps
• Economic losses due to crashes
• Intersection risk maps

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Applications for Risk Maps

• Effective safety management by highway agencies
• Better public understanding of highway safety
  needs
• Influence motorist route choice
• Influence motorist behavior on higher risk routes

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Applications for Risk Maps

• Assist highway agencies in implementing new
  SAFETEA-LU programs
• 5 criterion
• high-risk rural roads program
• statewide safety planning

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Star Ratings based on Road Protection Score

• Identify differences in road design features
  related to crash protection features of the
  roadway
• Provide star ratings based on inventories
• More research needed to adapt EuroRAP tools to
  U.S. conditions

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usRAP Plans

• Expand pilot studies into other states
• Additional work in MI IA
• Coordinate with international efforts
• Seek collaborators
• Explore most appropriate communication strategies

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Longer Term Vision Opportunities for
Collaboration

• AAAFTS AASHTO, or AAAFTS individual State DOT
  partnerships
• Periodic benchmarking
• Internal
• Public
• AAA support in state legislatures
• AAAFTS funding assistance to enhance road safety

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• For more information,
• please go to
• www.aaafoundation.org

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The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a
501(c)(3) public charity located in Washington,
DC that is dedicated to saving lives and reducing
injuries. It is supported by donations from
AAA/CAA Clubs, AAA/CAA members, and other
organizations associated with AAA/CAA.