The contents of this report reflect the views of the contractor who is responsible for the accuracy

of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the

Department of Transportation.

The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’

names appear herein only because they are considered essential to the objective of this document.
Office of Planning, E72-123 

Office of Safety, E71-116

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE

Washington, DC 20590

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

FHWA: Tamiko Brim-Burnell, Office of Safety and Lorrie Lau, Office of Planning

16. Abstract

This document presents 20 case studies of noteworthy transportation safety practices throughout the U.S. involving stakeholders at

all levels of transportation safety. It features examples from State departments of transportation, Tribes, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, highway safety offices, and enforcement agencies. The document also describes the importance of

integrating safety into the transportation planning process and lists transportation safety resources.

17. Key Words

Transportation safety, best practices, noteworthy practices, case

studies, transportation planning

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions. This document is available to the public through

the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA

22161.

19. Security Classif. (of this

report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this

page)

Unclassified

21. No of Pages

40

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized
portation planning and programming activities. If you are interested in duplicating any example in this

document, please use the contact information provided at the end of each case study.

Sincerely yours,

Jeffrey A. Lindley Gloria M. Shepherd

Associate Administrator for Safety Associate Administrator for

Federal Highway Administration Planning, Environment, and Realty

Federal Highway Administration

1

Successful Approach for SHSP Implementation, California Department of Transportation..........................18

Raising the Importance of Transportation Safety, California Department of Transportation ........................19

Development of Technical Solutions, Iowa Department of Transportation Office of Driver Services .......20

Minnesota Speed Management Program, Minnesota State Patrol .........................................................................21

Tazewell County Teen Safety, Tazewell County Sheriff, IL.....................................................................................22

Statewide Implementation of Road Safety Audits, Tennessee Department of Transportation .......................23

Road Weather Safety Audits Initiative, University of Wisconsin-Madison ..........................................................24

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Safety, Colorado Department of Transportation...........................................25

Transit Agency Takes Multifaceted Approach to Pedestrian Safety, ....................................................................26

Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority 

LYMMO Downtown Circulator – Dedicated Busway.............................................................................................27

Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority

Transportation Safety: What Will it Take? ................................................................................................................28

Transportation Safety Resources..................................................................................................................................29

Glossary............................................................................................................................................................................31
2

Managers – Leaders such as DOT department directors, Sheriffs, and MPO transportation directors who

manage practitioners.

Case Study Agency Page

Developing Sustained Tribal Safety Initiative Colville Confederated Tribes, WA 8

Cable Median Barrier Helps Achieve SHSP Goal Missouri Department of Transportation 9

Crash Reduction Initiative on Secondary and Rural Roads South Carolina Department of Transportation 10

Rogue Valley COG Elevates Safety Rogue Valley Council of Governments, OR 11

Sustained DUI Checkpoint Effort Delaware Office of Highway Safety 12

Providing Tools and Support for Local Safety Conscious Planning Iowa Department of Transportation Office of

Traffic and Safety 13

Successful Approach for SHSP Implementation California Department of Transportation 15

Raising the Importance of Transportation Safety California Department of Transportation 16

Development of Technical Solutions Iowa DOT Office of Driver Services 17

Minnesota Speed Management Program Minnesota State Patrol 18

Tazewell County Teen Safety Tazewell County Sheriff, IL 19

Statewide Implementation of Road Safety Audits Tennessee Department of Transportation 20

Road Weather Safety Audits Initiative University of Wisconsin-Madison 21

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Safety Colorado Department of Transportation 22

Transit Agency Takes Multifaceted Approach to Pedestrian Safety Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority 23

LYMMO Downtown Circulator – Dedicated Busway Central Florida Regional 

Transportation Authority 24
3
4

So what should transportation professionals do?

First and foremost, never forget that transportation safety is very personal to each family member and friend

who has lost a loved one. This fact is frequently lost in the tally of total transportation deaths, which can result

in a sense of apathy about this unacceptable loss of life. Secondly, transportation professionals need to focus

on what they can do as opposed to what they cannot. There will always be a need for more resources – people,

time, and money. However, we can invest our existing resources in ways that reduce the number of lives lost

each day. And lastly, never forget that what you do each day does make a difference, and success stories documenting this fact abound in transportation safety.

So what can you do?

The good news is that everyone involved in transportation can do something to improve safety. Whether you

are a transportation planner, engineer, police officer, emergency medical technician, educator, or elected official,

you have an important role to play. Read on to learn what is happening in transportation safety, how safety stakeholders are making a difference, and find out about some new strategies that you could implement in your region.
5

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More than 31 percent of U.S. fatalities involve alcohol (NHTSA, 2007). One third of fatal collisions are runoff-road collisions (FARS, 2005).

• Effective safety programs involve a wide range of stakeholders. The transportation planning process can be

an important forum for fostering safety program collaboration at the state and metropolitan levels.

Figure 1. The Relationship of Safety to the Planning Process

System

Operations

Other Sources

for Project

Ideas

Implementation 

of Strategies

Plan

TIP

Evaluation

Alternative 

Improvement 

Strategies

Performance 

Measures

Goals and 

Objectives

Data Analysis

Methods

Policies

Operations strategies

Infrastructure projects

Studies

Regulations

Education and awareness

Enforcement

Financing strategies

Partnerships

Collaborative undertakings

Vision

Evaluation

Leads to...

Including as

one product... 

Social Equity/

Quality of Life

Environmental 

Quality

Prosperity

Understanding the 

Safety Challenge

Source: NCHRP Report 546, Incorporating Safety into Long-Range Transportation Planning.
6

All states have developed Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSPs) involving a wide range of stakeholders. The

goals of an SHSP are similar to the goals of the transportation planning process: to increase state and local

decision-makers’ awareness of safety needs, to improve the effectiveness of planning and programming

through the use of accurate and timely data, and to expand the participation of major state and local stakeholders. Both the SHSP and transportation safety planning processes use a comprehensive approach that

includes a broad coalition of safety and planning partners from the engineering, education, enforcement, and

emergency medical services (EMS) disciplines.

The new planning rule in SAFETEA-LU recommends all transportation plans be consistent with the SHSP and

that long-range statewide and metropolitan transportation plans include a safety element incorporating or summarizing the priorities, goals, and countermeasures contained in the SHSP. Each state is also required to develop

and implement, on a continuing basis, a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which is a core funding program for highway improvements at hazardous locations established under SAFETEA-LU. Projects

should be consistent with strategies described in the State SHSP to be eligible for HSIP funding. As shown in

Figure 2, infrastructure safety projects included in the HSIP feed into the State Transportation Improvement

Program (STIP) for funding and implementation in the near term (generally within five years).

Safety should be explicitly addressed in state and regional transportation planning products. Both states and

MPOs are required to develop and update long-range plans with 20- to 30-year planning horizons. The MPOs’

Metropolitan Transportation Plans present a multimodal set of capital, operational, and systems management

strategies for the transportation system within their planning areas. State long range transportation plans define

policies and strategies for accommodating transportation needs within their borders. Both state and MPO longrange plans feed projects into the shorter-term, fiscally constrained TIP for MPOs and STIP for states. Each

year, MPOs develop a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and states develop a State Planning and

Research (SPR) program defining planning projects for the year.
7

Statewide Transportation 

Improvement Program (STIP)

TIP

(Metropolitan)

Other State Plans 

(e.g., Freight Plan, 

State Strategic Highway Ped/Bike Plan)

Safety Plan (SHSP)

CVSP

(49 U.S.C.

§ 31102)

HSP

(23 U.S.C.

§ 402)

HSIP

(23 U.S.C.

§ 148)

Source: Strategic Highway Safety Plans: A Champion's Guide to Saving Lives.

Safety stakeholders at all levels should understand the transportation planning process in their States or regions,

know the strategies that are being implemented to improve safety, and become involved. The SHSPs are organized into emphasis areas, which offer opportunities for direct involvement in areas such as impaired driving,

occupant protection, road departure, intersection crashes, and young drivers. Individuals with knowledge in specific emphasis areas and stakeholders with expertise in the 4 Es of safety – engineering, enforcement, emergency

response, and education – should contribute their ideas and knowledge to assist in the implementation and evaluation of effective strategies and countermeasures. Safety will continue to improve with increased involvement

of committed and knowledgeable executives and practitioners in the field. Be a part of the movement to save

lives – it will be the most rewarding part of your career.
8

ad vauabes odug tacg opeatos. Udete

state’s seizure statute, money obtained via this process

becomes the property of the agency and can be redirected

into law enforcement efforts. In addition, the department

receives $5 from every citation written and grants from the

state highway safety office for overtime to fund traffic

safety efforts.

With drug seizure revenue, the department was able build a

fully funded and dedicated traffic safety department comprised of seven full-time deputy officers that work traffic

safety. Vehicles for the entire police department are

drastic reductions in the number of crashes, fatalities, and

injuries. Another benefit from this program was the

unprecedented increase in criminal arrests, which demonstrated that support for traffic enforcement benefits all law

enforcement. The key to the success of this program is

Sheriff Whetsel who created a highly successful traffic

safety unit in an atmosphere that had previously favored

using law enforcement for crime suppression instead of

traffic control.

RESULTS 

Crash and crime rates both decreased substantially within

one year of increasing traffic safety efforts in the County,

and have remained at the lower rates for the past 10 years.

In 2006, the department made 16,000 traffic stops, of which

7,000 resulted in citations.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Sheriff John Whetsel

Oklahoma County

405-869-2511

johwhe@oklahomacounty.org

140

100

80

60

40

20

0

120

1997 2006 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Crime Rate Traffic Crash Rate

Crime and Crash Rates – Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (1997-2006)

Note: Crime and crash rate are calculated on numbers per 100,000

population as is the standard for the FBI uniform crime report.
9

y g p

vided the necessary justification for the change. The

reorganization resulted in several new programs, including one

that focused on crashes involving speeding. The reorganization

was accomplished in 14 months and completed approximately

four months before the Governor signed the SHSP.

Historically, safety grant awards had been made fairly equitably among traffic safety topical areas by the WTSC.

However, the SHSP analysis determined the majority of

fatal and injury crashes were occurring in just a few emphasis areas – 77 percent of all fatalities involved speed,

ggg p

Priority Areas One (impaired driving and speeding) and Two

(safety belts, crashes at intersections, and traffic records).

This ensured maximum resource investment in programs

where the most lives could be saved and injuries prevented.

The WTSC became much more prescriptive about spending

dollars and increased the requirements for performance data

to be sure projects were making a difference year to year.

The radical restructuring positioned the WTSC to lead by

example when directing SHSP partners and stakeholders to

do the same statewide at the local level.

RESULTS

Washington began to see measurable results from its SHSP

in 2007, the first full year of implementation. As of April

2008, fatalities were down from 625 in 2006 to 567 in 2007,

a 9 percent decrease statewide. The average decrease for the

previous five years was 5.6 percent. An analysis of fatality

causal factors showed the largest decreases were realized in

impaired driving (13 percent) and speeding (9 percent).

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Lowell Porter

Director

Washington Traffic Safety Commission

360-753-4018

lporter@wtsc.wa.gov

www.wtsc.wa.gov

Percent

Change

2002-2006

Average 2007

Interstate and state highway-related fatalities -5% 223 212

County road and city street-related fatalities -16% 241 203

Motorcyclist fatalities -8% 62 57

Motor vehicle occupant fatalities -11% 349 310

Nighttime fatalities -16% 243 204

August and September fatalities -34% 128 85

Speed-related fatalities -18% 188 154

Impaired driver-related fatalities -22% 219 170

Note: Preliminary 2006 and 2007 data as of February 26, 2008.

Washington Safety Metrics
10

qppgg, pp

educational activities, and be employed. A wide range of

coordinated support services are made available to assist

offenders in meeting these requirements. Participants meet

regularly with a counselor and report their progress to the

court on a monthly basis. Law enforcement officers, court

staff, treatment staff, and prosecutors meet monthly with a

coordinator to track participants’ progress. Infractions are

years with supervision by a probation officer. The Alaska

Therapeutic Courts treat approximately 140 people each

year. The program is funded by grants from the Alaska

Highway Safety Office ($2.2 million in FY 2009) with additional funding for treatment provided by the Alaska Mental

Health Trust.

RESULTS

A recent recidivism study (February 2007) conducted by the

Alaska Judicial Council at the request of the ACS shows

graduates of the program are significantly less likely to reoffend than people with similar offenses and prior conviction

records. Thirteen percent of therapeutic court graduates

were rearrested within a year of their graduation, compared

to a 32 percent rearrest rate within a year of release for a

comparison group.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Original bill enabling establishment of Therapeutic Courts (HB172F) in 2001:

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/22/Bills/HB0172F.PDF.

Statute governing Therapeutic Courts 

passed in 2006 (HB441D):

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/24/Bills/HB0441D.PDF.

Arrested 

6 Months

Discharged Convicted 6 MonthsConvicted 

First Year

Recidivism Rates for Therapeutic Courts

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

8%

26% 26%

18%

13%

39% 38%

32%

4%

10%

13%

8% 6%

26% 28%

23%

Graduated Discharged Comparison (1999 Felony)

Graduated – Offenders who graduated from a therapeutic program.

Discharged – Offenders who were accepted into a therapeutic program but 

later opted out or were discharged. 

Comparison – Offenders who had characteristics similar to therapeutic court 

participants but did not participate in a therapeutic court program.

1999 Felony – Baseline includes a two-thirds sample of all Alaskan offenders 

charged with a felony in 1999 and convicted of an offense; these offenders 

had been included in a previous study. (Alaskan Felony Process: 1999, 

February 2004).

Source: Alaska Judicial Council, February 2007.

Cindy Cashen 

Director

Alaska Highway 

Safety Office

907-465-4374

Cindy.Cashen@alaska.gov
11

y, 

Tribes to hire a traffic safety coordinator and initiate traffic

safety efforts.

The Traffic Safety Task Force, formed in 2006, is led by the

Tribal roads engineer and Tribal police department chief.

Because the crash types on the reservation were similar to

those on the State level, the Tribe adopted the goals in the

State’s SHSP. Colville leaders believed this model would

identify countermeasures best suited for their communities, while directly supporting Washington’s SHSP goal of

zero traffic deaths. The WTSC and State Department of

tection. Many Tribal members were unaware of the State’s

safety belt law and an outreach effort was initiated to raise

the level of awareness. Fifty infant seats and booster seats

were also distributed as part of this effort

RESULTS 

This initiative produced success almost immediately. The

safety belt use rate increased dramatically, from under 30

percent to above 80 percent. In the first 15 months of the

Task Force’s operation, seven lives were saved because passengers were wearing safety belts in severe crashes that

previously would have resulted in death or serious injury.

These early successes cemented the Traffic Safety Task

Force model within the Colville Nation. Recently, the

Tribe was awarded a grant from the Bureau of Indian

Affairs (BIA) to continue the Task Force initiative for an

additional three years. The BIA funding will be given

directly to the Tribe for transportation safety efforts and

WTSC will provide local oversight.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Brian Clark

Colville Confederated Tribes Transportation Department

509-634-2589

brian.clark@colvilletribes.com 

0

5

10

15

20

25

White Black Native 

American

Asian/

Pacific Islander

Hispanic

10.34

28.45

6.81

Fatality Rate (per 100,000 Population)

30

4,309

10.07

169

229

210

634

16.19

* Note: Number of fatalities shown in columns.

 Race definitions are per the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanic origin is not considered an ethnic 

 category. As a result persons can be classified as hispanic and also as another race category.

Washington Traffic Fatality Rate

1999-2006

Source: WTSC.
12

($10 million per year) is supplied from Section 154 transfer

funds. Missouri is subject to the penalty (i.e., funds transferred from the construction program to safety) because the

State has failed to pass an Open Container law.

cross median fatalities on divided Interstates each year. In

2007, the number of fatalities had dropped to 9. On the 500

miles of freeway where cable median barrier have been

installed, only 2 cross median fatalities occurred in 2007.

Installation of cable median barrier has also contributed to

Missouri’s success in achieving their SHSP goal a year ahead

of time. Fatalities in the State dropped dramatically from

1,257 in 2005, to 1,096 in 2006 (the largest drop in 2006 of

any state in the nation), and to under 1,000 in 2007 (a nearly

21 percent reduction over the last two years). Missouri traffic fatalities have not been this low since 1993.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

John Miller

Traffic Safety Engineer

Missouri DOT

573-526-1759

John.p.miller@modot.mo.gov

High Tension Cable Median Barrier

Source: Missouri Department of Transportation.
13

would be applicable. For eligible locations, a multidisciplinary

Road Safety Audit (RSA) team conducted a full field review

and made project recommendations.

SCDOT allocated $16 million per year over five years for lowcost improvements on CRISOS roads. Funding for the

CRISOS program was initially made possible due to an innovative TEO-45 indirect cost soft match program approved by

FHWA. This allowed the SCDOT to recover eligible administrative costs that would not otherwise be claimed on

Federal-aid projects. This savings provided the flexibility for

the SCDOT to advance the CRISOS program as a state

funded activity. Some improvements implemented on

CRISOS roads since 2004 include extra large stop signs,

guardrail installation, vegetation removal, rumble strips,

To complement the infrastructure improvements, SCDOT

worked with emergency medical services (EMS) public information and education specialists to incorporate information on

roadway departure crashes and safe driving strategies into their

ongoing outreach activities. SCDOT worked with local and

state law enforcement agencies to conduct targeted enforcement on CRISOS roads, and officers added information on

rural secondary road safety to their public outreach efforts.

SCDOT’s Safety and Communications Offices also secured

significant print and electronic media coverage of the issue.

RESULTS

Fatalities on CRISOS roads declined from an average of 71

deaths per year between 1998 and 2002 to an average of 62

deaths from 2006 to 2007, a 13 percent reduction. An average of 1,752 injuries occurred on CRISOS roads from 2006

to 2007, which is a reduction of 116 (6 percent) compared to

the annual average of 1,868 injuries between 1998 and 2002.

Due to success of the CRISOS program, it has been

expanded to all high crash rural roads regardless of classification, and is now funded through traditional methods of

indirect cost recovery

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Terecia Wilson

Director, Strategic Highway Safety Plan

SCDOT

803-737-0403 wilsontw@scdot.org

0

400

800

1,200

1,600

2,000

Interstate U.S. Primary SC Primary Secondary County/City

215

577

1,219 1,300

1,910

Traffic Fatalities

South Carolina Traffic Trends

Traffic Fatalities by Route Category, 2001-2005

Source: South Carolina Department of Transportation.
14

p

crashes based on population growth.

The emphasis on transportation safety planning also resulted

in safety being designated as one of the core goals in the

regional transportation plan (RTP). The goal is supported by

five policy recommendations. The multimodal safety element in the 2005 RTP, which included data from the 2004

safety study, recommended continued mapping and analysis

of hazardous locations and a project prioritization process

that ensures safety is given adequate weight and priority.

placement, and access management, is slated to go out to

bid in 2008. The first and second ranked projects are being

completed later than the project ranked third due to more

complex planning requirements and higher project costs.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Matt Herman

Associate Transportation Planner

Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG) 

541-423-1361

mherman@rvcog.org

Rogue Valley MPO

Transportation Safety Planning Project Final Report
15

y ppgy

General, which allowed the team to conduct DUI checkpoints in small towns that would have otherwise not had

the activity. In addition to the extended enforcement, the

program also has created a great sense of camaraderie

among law enforcement that opened the door for additional cooperative efforts.

A media effort is conducted to complement the program,

including television, radio, and billboard advertising to publicize the checkpoints. Radio and television ads are targeted

to media that reaches key demographic groups, such as

males ages 21 to 34, who are disproportionately represented

in crashes involving alcohol. The effort is funded by the

of alcohol-involved fatalities from 46 percent to 35 percent,

and in more than 650 DUI arrests in each of the past three

years (2005-2007). In addition to stopping alcohol-impaired

drivers, the program resulted in the apprehension of fugitives and drug users. The extensive media outreach also has

educated the public on the risks of drinking and driving.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Lisa Shaw

Delaware Office of Highway Safety

302-744-2746

Lisa.shaw@state.de.us

Yearly Checkpoint Strikeforce Results

Source: Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Drug Arrests

Fugitives Captured

DUI Arrests

Checkpoints

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

46

108

22

11

99

388

57

81

114

564

127

139

111

760

220

340

112

761

173

281

106

663

170

241
16

The most sophisticated analysis tool, Safety Analysis

Visualization and Exploration Resource, is used primarily by

the Iowa DOT, but a few local jurisdictions work with it as

well. A more user-friendly tool, the Crash Mapping Analysis

Tool, is widely used by local governments, and a similar

Incident Mapping Analysis Tool allows law enforcement to

map crashes and other incidents. The Iowa DOT also provides a statewide software license for the development of

intersection collision diagrams. Planners, law enforcement

officers, and engineers are invited to attend training on the

tools, which has the added benefit of facilitating crossagency discussion and collaboration, along with incentives

for accurate law enforcement crash reporting. The Iowa

Engineering Forum peer exchange to expose engineers to

traffic safety issues; delivers presentations on traffic safety at

the annual meetings of counties throughout the State, the

Iowa chapter of the American Public Works Association, and

the Iowa Association of Regional Councils; and provides free

courses on safety engineering to city and county engineers.

Iowa DOT developed the Traffic Engineering Assistance

Program to provide safety engineering support to jurisdictions without an engineer on staff. The program funds a

consultant with traffic and safety expertise to conduct local

safety studies. It is helpful for jurisdictions with limited

resources that might have hired a general civil engineer without safety expertise. The program emphasizes customized,

low-cost safety improvement solutions and is funded by

GTSB and TAS. Each project is limited to 100 hours of consultant time. Data analysis support and training programs

increase low-cost safety improvements throughout the State. 

RESULTS

Iowa has decreased traffic fatalities over the past 14 years

from a 5-year average of 478 between 1994 and 1998 to an

average of 433 between 2003 and 2007.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Tom Welch, P.E.

State Transportation Safety Engineer

Iowa Department of Transportation

515-239-1267

Tom.Welch@dot.iowa.gov

410

420

430

440

450

460

470

480

490

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Average Fatalities

Iowa Highway Fatalities

Five-Year Running Average

Source: Iowa Department of Transportation.
17

ppp

in the MPO area, on 2 two-hour workshops where participants could share their experiences with crash data. At the

first session, officers explained the current crash reporting

process and discussed the high demands and limited

resources dedicated to crash reporting.

In the second workshop, crash data users presented practical

examples of work products that utilize crash statistics, which

helped officers understand why information in crash reports

is crucial for improving transportation safety. The officers

Safety office to produce a 6.5 minute video that included

testimonials from law enforcement officers, transportation

planners, engineers, health departments, and State officials

on the importance of accurate data for improving transportation safety. The video was distributed to all Columbus

police precincts in June 2008 and is shown during roll-call.

Distribution to other central Ohio jurisdictions and other

agencies across the State is underway.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Kerstin Carr

Senior Planner

Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)

614-233-4163

kcarr@morpc.org

www.morpc.org

MORPC Coordinates Video Shoot on 

Importance of Accurate Crash Reporting

Source: MORPC.
18

teams were initially tasked with developing SHSP goals and

strategies to address the State’s most pressing transportation

safety issues. Following approval of the SHSP, these groups

continued to meet and developed detailed actions for implementation in each Challenge Area. This approach garnered

continued participation from safety stakeholders from state,

city, and county agencies, private sector businesses, grass-roots

organizations, and other key participants to successfully implement the SHSP.

In May 2008 Caltrans hosted Safety Summits in Northern

and Southern California, featuring State and Federal dignitaries and unveiling the 152 SHSP actions. Participants then

broke out into workshop groups to delve into the SHSP

actions and discuss implementation. During the workshop

sessions, new stakeholders were encouraged to participate in

the Challenge Area teams and commit to implementing the

SHSP within their organization and/or circle of influence.

Participants also shared their ideas and local best practices

and identified other safety stakeholder groups, organizations, and individuals not in attendance who should receive

outreach materials and be invited to participate in ongoing

SHSP efforts.

RESULTS

In addition to the announcement of the actions, the Summits

were designed to get new local Safety Stakeholders involved

in implementation and encourage them to join the current

group of more than 300 safety stakeholders. The goal was

that new stakeholders would comprise at least half of the

attendees at each event. This goal was accomplished, as 277

of the 479 people who attended the Summits (58 percent)

were new participants.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Jesse Bhullar, P.E., T.E.

State Highway Safety Engineer

Division of Traffic Operations

California Department of Transportation

916-654-5026

jesse_bhullar@dot.ca.gov

pg 

SHSP performance measures.

SHSP Documents

Source: Caltrans.
19

tributing collision factors and potential countermeasures,

which may include maintenance work orders, sign installation, or a safety project.

When a safety project is recommended, the project is evaluated for eligibility in the State Highway Operation and

Protection Program (SHOPP) Collision Reduction

Category. The Collision Reduction Category is one of eight categories that make up

SHOPP, a multi-year

program of transportation projects on

the state highway system. The Collision

Reduction Category

is designed to reduce

the number and/or

severity of collisions

and includes two

programs, Safety

Improvements and

Collision Severity

Reduction.

projects are also reflected in California’s Strategic Highway

Safety Plan. Typical improvements include new or modified

signals, modified intersections, curve improvements, shoulder widening, rumble strips, open graded asphalt concrete,

pavement grooving, median barriers, etc. All safety improvement projects meeting the criteria are guaranteed funding

from Federal HSIP and state SHOPP funds. The average

annual expenditure on safety improvement projects is nearly

$200 million, of which only about $60 million is from

Federal sources.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Janice Benton, P.E.

Chief, Office of Traffic Safety 

Division of Traffic Operations

California Department of Transportation

916-654-5176

janice_benton@dot.ca.gov

Jesse Bhullar, P.E., T.E.

State Highway Safety Engineer

California Department of Transportation

916-654-5026

jesse_bhullar@dot.ca.gov

California Strategic Highway Safety Plan 

Version 2

Source: Caltrans.
20

Prior to IMAT, jurisdictions had to wait months to obtain

state crash data. With IMAT, they have access to incident

data immediately after it is uploaded at the end of an officer’s

shift. IMAT can map and analyze any electronically captured

data, including traffic incidents and crimes, in real time.

Crashes, citations, crimes, and DUIs are captured within different layers of data and can be manipulated separately. For

example, IMAT can be used to view all crash reports associated with a specific location over a given time period.

IMAT benefits law enforcement by enabling data-driven

patrol deployment decisions. It provides a comprehensive

view of crashes, thus allowing management to identify and act

RESULTS 

In the City of Marion, IMAT helped flag an intersection

where two fatalities and several serious injury crashes

occurred over a two year period. IMAT analysis revealed a

significant proportion of the crashes occurred between

7:00 and 8:00 a.m. on weekdays. As a result, the department now assigns officers to this intersection during the

morning commute to slow traffic in an attempt to reduce

fatalities and injuries.

IMAT enables law enforcement to respond quickly to

changing patterns in traffic violations and crime in the

community and to deploy enforcement patrols accordingly.

The software is useful for managing law enforcement

staffing levels.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Lieutenant Mike De La Mater 

City of Marion Police Department

319-377-1511

116@marionpolice.com

Robert Thompson 

Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau

Iowa Department of Public Safety

515-725-6134

rthompso@dps.state.ia.us

Source: Marion City Police Department.

Map of Number of Crashes by Severity at Marion Locations
21

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mented by the Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic

(HEAT) program designed to control speeding and remind

drivers that the posted speed was the speed limit. The MSP,

county sheriffs’ offices, and local police departments conducted additional enforcement for eight-week periods

followed by four weeks of normal enforcement repeated

throughout the year. In the first year of the project, police

stopped approximately 88,000 vehicles and issued nearly

34,000 speeding citations. 

The education component

of the program involved

10,000 paid radio advertising spots throughout the

year, which ran at the beginning and end of the

enforcement periods.

HEAT was supported in

2006 with $3.0 million in

Federal funds: $2.5 million for increased

enforcement; $350,000 for

media; and about $150,000

for data collection, analysis, and evaluation. HEAT

was relaunched statewide

HEAT contributed to a 13 percent reduction in fatal crashes

in 2006 and an 11.2 percent reduction in the fatal crash rate

per 100 million VMT (more than three times the national

average fatal crash rate reduction from 2005 to 2006).

Mn/DOT also observed a steady decline in high-speed traffic. For example, on U.S. 2 and U.S. 71 the number of

vehicles traveling over 70 mph dropped nearly 42 percent

following initiation of HEAT. Additionally, the public’s perception of speed enforcement changed; more drivers

believed they would be ticketed at only 5 mph over the

speed limit, compared to the previous expectation of 10

mph over the limit.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Ernest H. Mattila

Grants and Federal Projects Administrator

Minnesota State Patrol

651-201-7112

ernest.mattila@state.mn.us

Lt. Mark Peterson

Minnesota State Patrol

mark.peterson@state.mn.us

Project web site:

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/hottopics/speedlimits/index.html

Speed Management Program Map

Source: Minnesota DOT.
22

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plan) and created a unique name and slogan.

Several schools created public service announcements

(PSA), with one school receiving permission from the rock

band Pearl Jam to use their song “The Last Kiss” in their

PSA. Another school welded safety belts to all the chairs in

a classroom to get students in the habit of buckling up. Rap

songs about safe driving were created and performed during

lunch breaks. Picture locket key chains were passed out at

the prom with a safe driving message attached. One school

created 19 cardboard mannequin cutouts, dressed them, and

placed them around the school to represent the average of

19 teenagers who die every day in America as a result of a

fatal vehicle crash. The winning school received $5,000, and

each student on the winning team was awarded a $500 U.S.

Savings Bond.

The engineering community reviewed reports for

each of the crashes resulting in the 15 teen fatalities.

They did not find a common safety factor linking

them all, but they identified hazardous locations

for further review. The

enforcement community

conducted a “shoulder to

officers walked onto the field to stand shoulder to shoulder

while an announcement was made explaining why they were

present at the games. Additionally, the State Police created

a web site where teenagers can anonymously report underage drinking parties: http://www.drunkstopper.com.

Tazewell County schools participated in the first Ford

Motor Company Fund-sponsored Ride and Drive event in

Illinois. Professional drivers conducted a driving clinic to

teach teens how to handle challenging driving situations,

such as coming out of a skid. In 2007, 300 Tazewell County

teens participated in the program.

RESULTS

Since July 2006, only one Tazewell County teen has died in

a crash. Illinois also has achieved significant gains in safety

among teens statewide. Teen fatalities in the State fell from

57 between January 1 and April 15, 2007 to 22 during the

same period in 2008.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Deputy John Shallenberger

Crime Prevention Unit

Tazewell County Sheriff ’s Office

309-346-4141

jshallenberger@tazewell.com

Teens Participating 

in Safe Driving Clinic

Photo: Tazewell County Sheriff's Office.
23

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The RSA process started by identifying lane departure locations with a fatal and incapacitating injury crash rate 3 or

more times the State average and intersections with a fatal or

serious injury crash with 3.5 times the average. The information is provided annually to the Project Planning Division

for further RSA screening. The Tennessee RSAs involve a

team that includes traffic engineers, operations specialists,

transportation planners, road superintendents, roadway

design engineers, highway maintenance supervisors, and

local officials. The goal of each RSA is to identify specific

hazards at each location and recommend low-cost improvements, such as signage, pavement striping, and guardrails. In

the first year of the program, TDOT conducted an RSA

every two weeks.

Improvements are funded by the High Risk Rural Roads

program, with up to $50,000 per project, and the Federal

Hazard Elimination Safety Program, with up to $1 million

per project. These limits may be exceeded with proper

approval. If the location involves a local roadway, the RSA

includes representatives from the local jurisdiction, which

may be asked to provide a 10-percent match for some items.

In accordance with Section 120 of Title 23 some safety

items are eligible for 100 percent Federal funding. A formal

evaluation of the program comparing before and after crash

rates at the RSA locations is conducted for a three year

period following implementation.

leadership presentations on the process to engineering

and planning groups.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Steve Allen 

Project Planning Director

Tennessee DOT

615-741-2208

steve.allen@state.tn.us

Source: Tennessee Department of Transportation.

RSA Location on Secondary Road
24

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to traditional engineering safety audits. The RSWA

y, 

weather data, Automated Weather Observing System

weather data, and weather-related crash locations.

The RWSA process was developed as part of a UW study

funded by the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and

has been integrated into WisDOT planning and program

practices under the direction of the Bureau of Highway

Operations (BHO).

RESULTS

WisDOT BHO has been piloting the RWSA program since

2007 and has modified the traditional RSA process to incorporate weather elements. WisDOT RSAs use a checklist

that now includes weather-related elements in a “Weather

Constraints” section. The institutionalization of the RWSA

into WisDOT’s RSA process has also heightened awareness

of weather issues that impact the infrastructure and operations and affect safety. Recently, WisDOT BHO included

the RWSA process and weather data in the long-range traffic operations infrastructure plan.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Xiao Qin

Traffic Safety Program Manager - TOPS Laboratory

University of Wisconsin-Madison

608-262-3649

xqin@engr.wisc.edu

Source: Qin, Xiao, David A. Noyce, Zylkia Martin, and Ghazan Khan. Road Weather Safety Audit Program

Development and Initial Implementation. In Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting

Compendium of Papers CD-ROM, TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2006.

Wisconsin Predicted Snowfall Levels
25

Administration, in addition to targeted enforcement on New

Years Eve weekend and a weekend in December. In 2003,

Colorado began a DUI checkpoint program with earned and

paid media targeted at 18- to 34-year olds. Other enforcement initiatives include the purchase of three alcohol breath

testing vans in 2006 and a 24-hour course on field sobriety

testing. CDOT also started a drug recognition expert training

program to identify drivers impaired by legal or illicit drugs.

Another initiative, started in 2005, focused on the Hispanic

population because the data show they are overrepresented in

highway fatalities. At the time, one of the problems was a lack

of tools for the law enforcement community to communicate

with Spanish speaking residents who lacked understanding of

traffic laws, the effect of alcohol on driving ability, and the court

process. The program involved

outreach to Spanish

speaking community

leaders and Spanish

language media

along with a presence at Hispanic

community events to

build trust.

The CDOT public

information office

also targeted other

Colorado’s success also has been supported by the legislature.

The blood alcohol content limit was lowered to .08 in July 2005,

and a graduated driver license law was passed in 1999 and

strengthened with passenger and other restrictions in 2005.

RESULTS 

• Fatality reduction from 743 in 2002 to 535 in 2006

(28 percent).

• Fatality reductions in key emphasis areas (alcohol, young

drivers age 16 to 20, and unbelted drivers and passengers).

• Safety belt use increased from 72 percent to 81 percent

(2002 to 2008).

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

2002 2006 2003 2004 2005

300

100

200

600

400

500

800

700

0

Total Fatalities Alcohol-Involved Fatalities

Speeding-Involved 

Fatalities 16-20 Year Old Fatalities

Colorado Fatalities

2002-2006 Jake Kononov

Director, Research and

Development, CDOT

303-757-9973

jake.kononov@dot.state.co.us 

Glenn Davis

Manager, 

Impaired Driving Programs 

Colorado Office of

Transportation Safety

303-757-9462

glenn.davis@dot.state.co.us

Stacey Stegman

Director, CDOT Public

Relations Office

303-757-9362

stacey.stegman@dot.state.co.us 
26

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tified location DDOT and WMATA evaluated site

conditions, the vehicle and pedestrian environment, traffic

control devices (including signal phasing), road alignment,

transit interface, land use, traffic operations, vehicle speed,

parking, lighting, and other factors, and made improvements

at 12 locations.

As part of the outreach and training component, WMATA

distributed handouts to all bus operators and displayed

posters reminding them to pay particular attention to pedestrians and to employ defensive-driving techniques.

Additionally, WMATA safety representatives solicited suggestions from bus operators on strategies to improve

pedestrian safety, which resulted in a new pedestrian safety

training program. In May 2007 WMATA initiated a bus

operator refresher course on pedestrian safety. Content for

the full-day course, “Street Smart,” was developed with

input from bus operators, superintendents,

street supervisors,

transit police, safety

department staff, and

DDOT Bicycle and

Pedestrian Safety staff.

Street Smart combines

classroom training

pilot program to determine optimal placement of bus side

mirrors. Operators tested bus operation with mirrors

installed at varying heights, and lowered mirrors for better

visibility of pedestrians.

In April 2008, in conjunction with the regional MPO,

WMATA sponsored a Regional Pedestrian Safety workshop

focusing on the three ‘E’s of pedestrian safety: engineering,

education, and enforcement. Attendees, including local jurisdiction and WMATA planners, practitioners, and operators,

shared best practices in the three areas and converged on

several recommendations for WMATA and the MPO Board.

One of these was for WMATA to lead an effort to develop

bus stop siting guidelines that include safety as a top priority.

RESULTS

Since WMATA initiated these interventions, only one pedestrian has been fatally injured by a bus (November 2007).

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Kristin Haldeman

Office of Long-Range Planning

WMATA

202-962-1848

khaldeman@wmata.com

Source: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Passengers Boarding a WMATA Bus
27

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if auto drivers enter the busway they recognize they are not

on the general purpose roadway and exit. “Bus only” pavement markings are installed in the busway as well as signage

at intersections indicating that autos are not to turn right

into the bus lanes, shown below.

The LYMMO route is one of LYNX’s safest routes. In the

12-year period from August 1, 1997 through July 10, 2008,

of the 82 bus-vehicle incidents, no fatal or serious injury

crashes occurred. Crashes occur at intersections or when an

auto enters the bus lanes, which is a concern mainly on the

one and a half blocks of route with a minimal division

between the busway and general purpose lanes. Of the 19

crashes involving pedestrians, none has been serious or fatal,

and most (11) involved a pedestrian walking into the side of

the bus. 

RESULTS

Twelve years of safe operations resulting in no fatal or serious injury crashes.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES

Doug Jamison

Senior Intelligent Transportation Systems Developer

LYNX

407-254-6071

djamison@golynx.com

Linda Connell

Risk Manager, LYNX

407-254-6101

lconnell@golynx.com

Source: LYNX.

LYMMO Dedicated Busway and Signage
28

Law enforcement officers can ensure traffic safety is a major part of their job because attention to safety can

help reduce crime overall. Law enforcement professionals should make sure their colleagues understand why

complete and accurate data in crash reports are critical for understanding and correcting transportation safety

problems. Law enforcement can also be more involved in infrastructure planning to ensure sufficient areas are

provided for traffic surveillance purposes. Officers can provide invaluable information about how people are

behaving on roadways and their understanding of traffic laws.

Education strategies continually evolve to gain people’s attention and change their behavior. Public relations

professionals use sophisticated methods to reach key demographics and stretch public information dollars by

using media to cover safety stories. School superintendents can reach out to high school students and their parents with critical safety messages. Bar and restaurant owners can educate their servers and patrons on

alternatives to drinking and driving.

When people are engaged with passion and creativity, the possibilities for improving transportation safety are

limitless. Your involvement will make a difference. Get motivated, get involved, and save more lives!
29

Highway Safety Association, third edition, 2008: http://www.ghsa.org/html/publications/index.html

Crash Cost Estimates by Maximum Police-Reported Injury Severity within Selected Crash Geometries with

information on economic cost per crash by severity level for 22 crash types:

http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/05051/

FARS Web-Based Encyclopedia with links to national reports and statistics: http://wwwfars.nhtsa.dot.gov/

FHWA Office of Safety – Pedestrian Safety web site: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/PED_BIKE/ped/

FHWA Office of Safety – Road Safety Audits web site: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsa/index.htm

FHWA Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians:

http://www.tfhrc.gov/humanfac/01103/coverfront.htm#toc

FHWA Roadway Delineation Practices Handbook:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tfhrc/safety/pubs/93001/93001.pdf

FHWA resource site about rumble strips:

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/fourthlevel/pro_res_rumble.library.htm
30

National Safe Routes to School Information Center: http://www.saferoutesinfo.org

National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse: http://wzsafety.tamu.edu

NCHRP Report 500: Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan:

http://safety.transportation.org/guides.aspx

NCHRP Report 501: Integrated Safety Management Process:

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_501.pdf

NCHRP Report 546: Incorporating Safety into Long-Range Transportation Planning:

http://tsp.trb.org/assets/nchrp_rpt_546.pdf

NCHRP Research Results Digest 299: Crash Reduction Factors for Traffic Engineering and Intelligent Transportation

System Improvements: State-of-Knowledge Report, November 2005

Network of Employers for Traffic Safety: http://www.trafficsafety.org
31

Federal-Aid Program – An umbrella term, not defined in law, which in general refers to most of the Federal

programs providing highway and transit funds to the states. An example of a Federal-aid program is the

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which includes the Hazard Elimination Safety Program (HESP)

and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP).

FHWA – Federal Highway Administration. 

FMCSA – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Focuses on reducing crashes involving large trucks

and buses.

FTA – Federal Transit Administration.

GHSO – Governor’s Highway Safety Office. Each state and territory is required to have a GHSO that manages

primarily behavioral safety efforts, most of which are funded through grants from NHTSA. In approximately

one-third of states the GHSO is housed within the DOT, and the remainder are located in the Department of

Public Safety or Department of Motor Vehicles. 

MPO – Metropolitan Planning Organization. Required in all metropolitan areas with a population of 50,000 or

more, these agencies conduct regional transportation and other planning activities and are required to develop

the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
32

SHSP – Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Required by SAFETEA-LU, these state transportation safety plans

include analysis of crash data to identify emphasis areas where a reduction in fatal and injury crashes is needed,

as well as strategies for improvement. Plans must be developed via the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders representing the 4Es of safety.

Statewide Transportation Plan – Official statewide, intermodal transportation plan that is developed through

the statewide transportation planning process.

STIP – State Transportation Improvement Program. Identifies projects from the state’s long-range transportation plan that are funded and will be implemented in the short term.

TIP – Transportation Improvement Program. Identifies funded projects to be implemented in the short term

from the MPO’s regional transportation plan.

Traffic Safety Information System (Traffic Records) – Data needed for determining the severity and extent

of traffic safety problems includes information on crashes, drivers, vehicles (including commercial vehicles),

roadway environment, injuries, and traffic violations. Therefore, the databases that comprise the traffic safety

information system are crash, roadway/traffic, vehicle registration, driver licensing, emergency medical services/medical, and citation/adjudication.