Use of Safety Data in Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Forrest M. Council BMI-SG Douglas W. Harwood Midwest Research Institute Barbara DeLucia Data Nexus, Inc.

March, 2006

AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan

• • • • Developed over the past decade and approved by AASHTO in 1998 Updated and republished in 2005 NCHRP Project 17-18 has implemented this plan One “user aid” is a set of

implementation guides,

one for each of 22 “emphasis areas” – – – Each Guide identifies

objectives

within a specific emphasis area for improving safety Presents effective low-cost each objective

strategies

for accomplishing Classifies strategies as

proven

,

tried

, or

experimental

2

• – – – – – – – Published: – – – – – Aggressive Driving Suspended/Revoked Drivers Run Off Road Head On Trees in Hazardous Locations Unsignalized Intersections Heavy Trucks Pedestrians Utility Poles Horizontal Curves Signalized Intersections Older Drivers

Guides

• – – – – – Unbelted Drivers and Occupants Work Zones Rural Emergency Management Services Distracted/Fatigued Drivers Alcohol

In Process (Summer 2006)

– – – – – Motorcyclists Head-on Crashes on Freeways Bicyclists Younger Drivers Data Needs, Sources, and Analysis 3

Implementation Guides

• • For additional information on the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan, go to

http://safety.transportation.org

For published Guides, go to NCHRP 17-18(3) project description by going to

http://trb.org/

Then “NCHRP” to “All Projects” to “Area 17” to 17-18(3) – All in pdf files for downloading 4

Lead State Effort

• • • • State and local agencies were involved in the development of all Guides through input and review conferences and workshops For the Phase I Guides, “lead states” recruited by AASHTO to use the Guides.

NCHRP project staff provided technical assistance to the lead states during their efforts It became apparent that a more detailed guide on

Safety Data Needs, Sources, and Analysis

needed is 5

Guide on Safety Data Needs, Sources, and Analysis

• Currently being developed by project staff from BMI-SG, MRI, CH2MHill and Data Nexus • Scheduled completion date: – Summer 2006 6

Scope of the Data Guide

• • • Data (and Analysis) Guide will focus on planning for implementation of any selected emphasis area available safety data: using – – how to choose specific strategies within a selected emphasis area how to target roadway sites or portions of the driver or vehicle population to apply target strategies Guidance is tailored to each of the 22 areas (e.g., since data types will differ) Processes will address: – – agencies with relatively complete data agencies with limited data (i.e., crash data only) 7

Scope of the Data Guide

• Data guide will make planning for a specific emphasis area simpler than the more comprehensive guide for the “Integrated Safety Management Process” (NCHRP Report 501) – – NCHRP Report 501 address a comprehensive management process for improving safety The Data Guide will assist agencies in focusing on one or more specific emphasis areas 8

Data Guide Contents

• • • Introduction to AASHTO plan and resource documents Limited information on

goal setting

Limited information on

areas choosing emphasis

– Detailed methods are provided in NCHRP Report 501 – The Data Guide assumes that jurisdictions have procedure to choose emphasis areas of interest (e.g., run-off-road crashes; unlicensed drivers) 9

Data Guide Contents

• Guidance on safety data needed for developing an emphasis area plan: – the Data Guide assumes that data, etc.) crash data are available for use, but that other critical safety data may or may not be available (e.g., roadway cross-section inventory, traffic counts, roadway alignment, citation – the Data Guide will include a description of the different safety data files, and where they can be found (e.g., local crash data may be available from state DOT) 10

Data Guide Contents

• Process for choosing and targeting alternative strategies – guidance provided for each of the 22 emphasis areas – economic-analysis process when strategy effectiveness is known (i.e., Accident Modification Factors exist) – alternative process for strategies with unspecified level of effectiveness – both processes for both

limited

available data

complete

and 11

Data Guide Contents

• Discussion of how the safety data used in these processes might be improved – guidance coordinated with strategies developed in white paper for international safety data scan – presents a vision of an “ideal” data set for addressing each emphasis area – future data needs consistent are with MMUCC, MIRE and SafetyAnalyst 12

Data Guide Schedule

• Initial (partial) draft completed in November, 2005 • Review workshop held in December, 2005 • Final publication – Summer, 2006 13