The AASHTO Standing Committee on Highway Traffic Safety during their 2006 meeting endorsed formation of the Subcommittee on Safety Management. The Subcommittee formed six task forces, each focused on specific highway safety issues: Technical Information and Resources; At Risk Roadway Users; Strategic Highway Safety Plan; Safety Data Systems and Analysis; Safety Information Packages; and Research. At the task force meeting specific goals were identified and action steps created to achieve those goals.
The research proposed in this problem statement will develop the information and data needed to facilitate reaching their stated goals.
Research objectives for each of the six task groups are discussed separately:
Group 1. Technical Information and Resources
- Perform an initial scoping study to develop a process for summarizing safety best practices as evaluation results from state pooled fund/FHWA/NCHRP projects become available. Develop a dissemination technique through enhancements to the AASHTO website, www.transportationsafety.org. A specific objective of this study will be to ensure a very user-friendly format that can be used by all stakeholders in implementing the strategic highway safety plans (SHSPs).
- Develop a marketing plan to assist in the dissemination of SHSP implementation efforts to all stakeholders.
- Develop a template for states to add to their SHSPs for specific safety areas. The template should contain suggested marketing strategies to be implemented in the states to reach all stakeholders, i.e., local governments, law enforcement, safety education, and EMS providers.
(This would be analagous to the effort made in the “Tools for Life” marketing of AASHTO’s SHSP and the implementation guidebooks, but should be more extensive and focus on all stakeholders.)
Group 2. At Risk Roadway Users
- Conduct a survey of states on Safe Routes to School implementation and initial results and promising best practices. From the survey identify additional data needs of the states and local agencies and research gaps. Also from the survey identify current laws that would be models for states to use and legal/policy issues arising from implementation of safe routes to school programs.
- Conduct a multi-part survey of states regarding pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle issues. This survey will encompass each state-identifying problems and successes regarding demographic groups, data, laws, rules, penalties, adjudication processes, and research. From the survey, identify specific states where additional information through a second survey could be garnered to further identify best practices and laws/policies that would be models for other states to use. Compile a list and description of the best practices and laws/policies for state and local use. Disseminate through the enhanced AASHTO website (see Task Group 1 research idea).
Group 3. Strategic Highway Safety Plan
- Review the 22 objectives of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan using current crash data. Update the objectives and their strategies as needed.
- Conduct a survey of states on status (successes and impediments) of SHSP implementation.
Group 4. Safety Data Systems and Analysis
- Explore state and local crash data system needs and gaps to identify tools that would enhance existing systems and processes. Survey the states to identify safety data improvements for state and local agencies.
- Explore the need and techniques to provide a single source for safety countermeasure evaluation results.
Group 5. Safety Information Packages
- Develop a template for leadership safety information that can be customized by each state for use with their leadership (agency, legislative, local).
- Complement and enhance the above template plan and outline a primer on highway safety for state executive level management in state agencies.
- Plan and outline a toolbox on current safety issues, high interest areas and emerging trends. This would be for use by state, district, MPO and local agencies.
Group 6. Research
- Identify research gaps through review of safety literature, specifically products of NCHRP Projects 17-18(3) and 17-27.
- Develop methods to systematically disseminate and market immediately useable research results. This would cover the broader safety research arena, not just evaluation studies, and would complement (not duplicate) the evaluation summaries from Task Group 1.
This project provides research support essential to successful implementation of State Strategic Highway Safety Plans and, ultimately, achieving national goals for reductions in fatalities and serious injuries.
Note: This project will include multiple tasks to support the activities of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Safety Management.
Status: The project includes following tasks:
Task 2
Title: Transportation Safety Web Portal
Contractor: Penna Powers Brian Hayes to convert the AASHTO safety web site to a transportation safety portal is currently.
Start Date: 12/14/2007
Completion Date: 12/31/2008
Task 2A
Title: Transportation Safety Web Portal
Contractor: Penna Powers Brian Hayes to convert the AASHTO safety web site to a transportation safety portal is currently.
Start Date: 3/24/2010
Completion Date: 12/31/2011
Task 3
Title: Strategic Highway Safety Plan Peer Exchange
Contractor: Mercer Consulting Group LLC
Start Date: 3/26/2008
Completed Date: 2/28/2009
Task 4
Title: Support for AASHTO Subcommittee on Safety Management
Contractor: Deja Program Development
Start Date: 8/1/2008
Completion Date: 12/31/2012
Task 5
Title: AASHTO Safety Leadership Forum
Contractor: Mercer Consulting Group, LLC
Start Date: 11/26/2008
Completion Date: December 2011
Task 6
Title: Support for AASHTO SCOHTS and Subcommittee on Safety Management
Contractor: Deja Program Development
Start Date: December 2013
Completion Date: November 2014. Completed - final reports sent to AASHTO
