Transcript No Slide Title

Survey of International Best
Practices to Accommodate
Older Road Users
March 2008
Presentation Overview
Scan sponsors, team, and purpose
 Older Road User Issues in the U.S.
 Scan itinerary and countries visited
 General Findings
 Recommendations and next steps

Scan Sponsors
U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S.
DOT)
 American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
 National Cooperative Highway Research
Program (NCHRP)

International Technology Scanning
Program
“…means to access innovative technologies
and practices in other countries that could
significantly improve highways and
highway transportation services in the
United States.”
Who are we ?
Pamela Hutton, Co-Chair
Colorado State DOT
Tom Smith, FHWA West
Virginia Division Office
Barry Warhoftig,
West Virginia State DOT
Thomas Granda,
FHWA Research Cntr.
Leanna Depue
Missouri State DOT
Elizabeth Alicandri, Co-Chair
FHWA Office of Safety
David Harkey,
University of North Carolina
Susan Chrysler
Texas Transportation Institute
Howard Glassman,
Florida Metropolitan Planning
Organization Advisory Council
Warhoftig
Chrysler
Granda
Smith
Hutton
Glassman
Depue
Alicandri
Harkey
What is the Problem ?
Fatality Rate by Age per 100 M VMT
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
16
17 18 19 20- 25- 30- 35- 40- 45- 50- 55- 60- 65- 70- 75- 80- 85+
24 29 34 39 44 49 54 59 64 69 74 79 84
What is the Problem ?
Graying of the US population
1960
Males
Females
Age Brackets
(5 year increments)
0-4
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
2020
Males
Females
65-69
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
What has the U.S. done for
older road users?

1988 - TRB Transportation in an Aging
Society

1997 - FHWA Older Driver Highway Design
Handbook & Guidelines

1999 - FHWA Older Road User Workshops

2000 & 2003 - Revised Highway Standards
 Manual
on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
 AASHTO
Green Book
What has the U.S. done for
older road users?

2001 – Revised FHWA Handbook

2003 - AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety
Plan Implementation

2003 – Safe Mobility for Maturing Society –
Challenges and Opportunities

2004 - Travel Better, Travel Longer Pocket
Guide

2004 – A Guide for Reducing Collisions
Involving Older Drivers
Where did we go ?

Australia


March 8 - 12


March 1 - 4
March 5 -8
Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Japan

Tokyo
March 12 - 16
Why Australia and Japan ?

Similar demographic age distribution
 Percent
of population over age 65 in 2030
US: 19.7 %
 Australia: 21.5 %
 Japan: 30 %


Better safety record than US
 Traffic
fatality rates per 100,000 population
US: 14.24
 Australia: 9.3
 Japan: 6.7

Scan Team Pedestrian Safety in
Left-Side Drive Countries
What did we hope to learn?

Strategies to plan for increases in older
road users

Innovations in infrastructure design to
assist older road users

Research topics specific to older road
users issues
Headliners
Aging of society is a global issue
 Safety must be emphasized at highest
levels of government
 Local Government involvement in
implementing safety plans is critical
 Systems approach
 Data are used for planning, policy, and
evaluation
 Improving safety for Older Road Users
improves safety for all and vice versa

Headliners
Removing driving privileges prematurely
has unintended consequences
 Infrastructure and operational changes
hold great promise for improving safety
for older road users
 Mobility options are critical for continued
quality of life

General Road Safety Initiatives


Systems Approach to Safety through Strategic
Plans
Focus on reducing crash severity
 Speed
Enforcement
 Speed Zones during times of high pedestrian activity
 Pedestrian fencing

Innovative partnerships with local governments,
community groups, and automobile clubs
Example of Systems Approach:
Strategic Planning
Victoria’s Arrive Alive initiatives
include:
 Road users
 Education & enforcement





Alcohol
Speed
Fatigue
Drugs
Inexperience
 Road and roadsides
 Infrastructure
 Vehicle
Safety
Slide 18
Example of Systems Approach:
Speed Reduction

Speed Zoning
 In
high pedestrian areas
 At times of high pedestrian activity


Public Education
Automated Enforcement
Speed Zoning in High Pedestrian
Areas
Entertainment Zone in Brisbane
School Zone in Sydney Suburb
Automated Enforcement
Policy and Planning Issues
Safety is critical issue at highest levels of
government
 Aspirational and practical goals
 Integrated data from multiple sources
used for:

 Policy
development
 Planning decisions
 Program evaluation
Infrastructure Improvements for
Older Road Users
 Intersections
Left turn signals exclusive phase
 Dedicated turn lanes
 Geometric Design

Intersection Improvements

Turn Signal Phasing to eliminate go / nogo decision
Intersection Improvements

Changes to intersection geometric
design to accommodate limited range of
motion of older drivers
Minimum receiving lane width for rural unsignalised intersections
Source: Vic Roads
Traffic Control Devices
Pavement marking brightness
and width
 Sign brightness
 Sign letter size
 Barrier treatments for horizontal
curavature (Japan)

Pavement and Barrier Markings


Reflective chevrons on barrier wall
Wider lines to indicate start of exit lane
Speed Control
Traffic calming
 Speed zoning by district
 Backed up by automated
enforcement

Traffic Calming



Speed Humps
Raised Pedestrian Crosswalks
Reduced Residential Area Speeds
Colored pavements



Lane Prohibition
Curve Warnings
Positive Guidance in coordination with colorcoded diagrammatic signs
Highlighting Bike Lane at
Intersection, Sydney
Marking Prohibition to Entry to
Bus Lane, Melbourne
Transit Improvements


Accessible tram stops
Median transfer points to
reduce pedestrian activity
in street
Improvements for Pedestrians

Median refuge islands
Sydney
Improvements for Pedestrians

Extended pedestrian phase signal time
 Actuated signals
Improvements for Pedestrians
 Separation
of pedestrians and other
vehicles, including bikes
Improvements for Pedestrians

Pedestrian Fencing
 Directs
pedestrians to
marked or signalized
crosswalks
 Prevents jay-walking
Driving Reduction and Cessation


Policies vary from mandatory
re-testing after age 75 to no
age-based testing
Emphasis in all states is
education, self-assessment, and
self-regulation
Addressing Mobility
Peer-to-peer training – use of transit, paratransit, home delivery services
 Mobility Advisor – training home health
care workers
 Community-based alternative
transportation services – creative use of
available vehicles

Future Trends

Aging in place

increased transit demand
 more older pedestrians
 transit-oriented development



Rising number of older motorcycle riders
Increased use of mobility scooters
Increased use of recreational vehicles
Motorcycle
Safety Education
Mandatory Helmet Law
 Partnerships with
Motorcycle club for riders
over age of 50
 Reconsideration of
license endorsement
testing requirements

Slide 40
Mobility Scooters
Recreational Vehicles

Rural areas
 Road
Trains
 Narrow paved surfaces
Research Activities
Older Driver Naturalistic Driving Study
 Age-related Eye Disease
 Medication Interactions
 Older Recreational Vehicle Drivers
 Enhanced Nighttime Pedestrian
Identification through Bio-motion markers

Queensland University of Technology
Test Track and Instrumented Vehicle
Implementation Topics





Enhancement of U.S. Roadway Design and
Operations Practice
Outreach to Non-Traditional Partners
Targeted Research Program
Establish Land Use and Development
Guidelines
Training for Transportation Providers
Questions