Meeting the AASHTO Safety Goal

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Meeting the AASHTO Safety Goal

• Daniel L. Carter, PE
• UNC Highway Safety Research Center
• AASHTO Safety Mgmt Subcommittee Meeting
• September 2, 2009

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AASHTO Safety Goal

• In 2003, safety goal was 1.0 fatalities per 100
  million VMT
• Revised in 2008 to reduce fatalities by 1000 per
  year, moving toward halving fatalities over the
  next two decades.
• Strategic Highway Safety Plan addresses the areas
  affecting these fatalities

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National Trend of Highway Fatalities
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National Trend of Fatality Rate
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National Trend of VMT
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Preliminary Data for 2008

• 37,313 fatalities (down 3,746 from 2007)
• 1.28 fatalities per 100 million VMT (down from
  1.36 in 2007)

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SHSP Emphasis Areas

• AASHTO SHSP outlines 22 emphasis areas
• People E.g., curbing aggressive driving,
  keeping drivers alert
• Infrastructure E.g., keeping vehicles on the
  roadway, improving intersections
• Other E.g., safety information, emergency
  medical services

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State SHSP Review

• Reviewed 51 SHSPs (all states and D.C.)
• Noted which emphasis areas were addressed often
  and which areas were addressed rarely

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State SHSP Review

• Emphasis areas addressed in most SHSPs
• young drivers (41)
• aggressive driving (41)
• impaired driving (46)
• occupant restraint (47)
• keeping vehicles on the roadway (45)
• intersections (42)

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State SHSP Review

• Emphasis areas addressed in most SHSPs
• young drivers (41)
• aggressive driving (41)
• impaired driving (46)
• occupant restraint (47)
• keeping vehicles on the roadway (45)
• intersections (42)

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State SHSP Review

• Emphasis areas addressed in few SHSPs
• driver licensing (12)
• keeping drivers alert (17)
• driver safety awareness (14)
• in-vehicle safety technologies (1)
• vehicle-train safety (12)
• head-on and cross median crashes (14)

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State SHSP Review

• Emphasis areas addressed in few SHSPs
• driver licensing (12)
• keeping drivers alert (17)
• driver safety awareness (14)
• in-vehicle safety technologies (1)
• vehicle-train safety (12)
• head-on and cross median crashes (14)

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Area 5 Impaired Driving

• Alcohol-related fatalities have remained at a
  constant level in recent years
• Approximately 13,000 fatalities per year, or 30
  of all highway fatalities
• Most states and agencies focused on
• Enforcement
• Public awareness

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Area 5 Impaired Driving

• Some states moving toward stricter use of alcohol
  ignition interlocks
• Required for some DWI offenders in most states
• However, only 8 states require them for all
  offenders
• In 2007, only 10 of eligible offenders had them
  installed on their vehicles

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Area 5 Impaired Driving

• Research shows that ignition interlocks prevent
  half of offenders from re-offending
• 30 of drivers in fatal alcohol related crashes
  are re-offenders
• Strict use of alcohol ignition interlock could
  prevent these crashes and save up to 1950 lives

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Area 15 Keeping Vehicles on the Roadway

• Run-off-road fatalities have remained at a
  constant level in recent years
• Approximately 9,400 fatalities per year, or 22
  of all highway fatalities

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Area 15 Keeping Vehicles on the Roadway

• Examples of State initiatives in SHSPs
• Colorado hot spots speed reduction
• D.C. surface treatments rumble strips
• Idaho ITS speed signs delineation treatments
• New Hampshire rumble strips remove trees
• New York road safety audits widen shoulders
• Missouri statewide program for rumble strips and
  improved delineation

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Area 15 Keeping Vehicles on the Roadway

• What benefit could be achieved through more
  edgeline/shoulder rumble strips?
• Approximately 7000 fatalities per year occurring
  on two-lane rural roads from single vehicle
  run-off-road crashes
• Research shows potential for 29 reduction due to
  rumble strips
• Potential for 2000 lives per year to be saved by
  having rumble strips on all two-lane rural roads

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Looking toward the future

• Fatalities decreasing 600 per year (2004-07)
• Straight line estimate 20,500 fatalities/year
  in 2042
• Fatality rate decreasing 2 per year
• Straight line estimate 1.0 in 2020

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Looking toward the future

• Unlicensed drivers fatalities on the rise, and
  the area is getting little attention nationwide
  in SHSPs
• Motorcycle fatalities on the rise
• Only 21 states require helmets for all riders

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Looking toward the future

• Some strategies show promise, but need to be more
  strictly or more widely implemented to gain full
  benefit
• In-vehicle safety technologies emerging (e.g.,
  Electronic Stability Control)

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Looking toward the future

• Some strategies have shown great effectiveness
  (e.g., GDL) but soon that fruit will be picked
• Progress in fighting highway fatalities is
  encouraging, but persistence and innovation are
  needed