Summer 2021, Volume 15, Issue 2

 Message from the Associate Administrator for Safety, Cheryl Walker

Transportation Equity means Safety for Everyone

Reducing fatalities and serious injuries—that’s what each and every one of us is striving to do. To

achieve this goal, we need to be intentional about improving safety for every road user. As we continue 

to research new ideas and implement solutions to safety issues, we need to ask crucial questions. 

How can we implement safety solutions equitably? How do we eliminate adverse impacts on 

underserved communities? While we still have a lot of work to do to build an equitable and safe

transportation system, below are a few resources to help us advance this goal.

I’m pleased to share that many safety countermeasures featured on FHWA’s safety pages improve 

both safety and equitable access to transportation. For example, a pedestrian refuge island is a 

median with a refuge area that helps protect pedestrians crossing a multilane road. This 

countermeasure is particularly helpful for elderly or disabled pedestrians who are slower to cross the 

road—it provides a place to rest and reduces the amount of time pedestrians are in the roadway. 

Backplates with retroreflective borders improve the visibility of the illuminated face of the traffic control 

signal for all drivers. This treatment enhances traffic signal visibility and conspicuity for both older 

drivers and color-vision-deficient drivers. Installation of a sidewalk results in a 65–89 percent decrease 

in crashes involving pedestrians walking along roadways. Continuous sidewalks and accessible 

pedestrian networks are critical to improving safety and mobility for ALL pedestrians—but especially 

older and disabled pedestrians—to access employment, services, and commerce centers. 

I’d also like to highlight two new resources we recently published that can help you make your roads 

safer and more equitable for all users. Our new guide—Traffic Analysis and Intersection 

Considerations to Inform Bikeway Selection—features a section on equity-focused design principles to 

help agencies prioritize accessibility, safety, and equity for all users when designing intersections. The 

companion guide—On-Street Motor Vehicle Parking and the Bikeway Selection Process—encourages 

agencies to consider race, equity, and social justice in the planning and public policy discussion when 

considering bikeway type selection in the context of on-street parking. It outlines an eight-step process 

to help advance transportation equity by incorporating equity into all aspects of the transportation 

planning, design, and implementation process. You can read more about these new guides on page 17

of this issue.

I’d urge all safety champions to consider equity when advocating for, designing, and implementing 

safety improvements. Our roads are not truly safe unless they are safe for EVERYONE.

Cheryl Walker,

Associate Administrator 

for Safety
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 2 –

in this issue...

 What’s New? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2

2020 Safety Discipline Awards............................................................................................................................................................................................. 2

2021 National Roadway Safety Awards Call for Nominations................................................................................................................................ 3

Mentoring, Assistance, Training, and Communication Help (MATCH): Technical Assistance Program for Local and Tribal

Agencies to Improve Roadway Safety.............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

 Safety-Driven Changes and Improvements................................................................................................................. 5

Mainstreaming Safety Improvement—How Agencies Are Assessing Safety on All Projects..................................................................... 5

Addressing Motorcyclists’ Safety Issues .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) UP Focuses on Five Key Pedestrian Safety Issues ...................................................... 7

Advancing the Safe System Approach through Intersections................................................................................................................................ 8

Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Project Highlights...................................................................................................... 9

 Learning Together.............................................................................................................................................................10

Advancing Implementation of the Safe System Approach: Resources You Can Use .................................................................................10

Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) Development in California.....................................................................................................................................11

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW): "Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives”............................................................................12

It Was Me ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13

 Data and Analysis ..............................................................................................................................................................15

Contributing Factors for Focus Crash and Facility Types........................................................................................................................................15

FHWA Releases Report on the Impacts of Automated Vehicles on Highway Infrastructure...................................................................17

 New Resource Roundup..................................................................................................................................................17

FHWA Releases New Resources on Bikeway Selection ...........................................................................................................................................17

FHWA Releases New Countermeasure Service Life Guide.......................................................................................................................................18

New Resources on Vision Zero..........................................................................................................................................................................................19

 Announcements................................................................................................................................................................ 20

New Logo for the Office of Safety!..................................................................................................................................................................................20

Announcing the New Intersection Safety Web Pages!............................................................................................................................................20

New Resource on Systemic Safety Analysis!................................................................................................................................................................21

Upcoming Conferences and Events ................................................................................................................................................................................21

WHAT’S NEW?

2020 Safety Discipline 

Awards

By Patrick Hasson and Adam Larsen FHWA

Each year, the safety discipline 

recognizes individuals for their 

leadership and accomplishments

through its safety discipline awards.

The discipline recognizes three 

individuals for its 20th annual awards:

• Jeff King

• Karen Scurry

• Ken Kochevar

Field Safety Peer Awards

Jeffrey A. King’s passion and 

dedication for highway safety is 

evident in his abilities leading safety 
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 3 –

initiatives in 

Arizona and in 

his national 

contributions to 

the safety 

discipline. Jeff 

has educated

division staff 

and Arizona 

partners on the Safe System 

Approach, Proven Safety 

Countermeasures, and Every Day 

Counts initatives. Jeff maintains 

partnerships with national, State, 

regional, local, and Tribal 

practitioners in transportation, law 

enforcement, and other disciplines. 

Through Jeff’s efforts, Arizona has 

institutionalized STEP 

countermeasures. Jeff is an 

outstanding individual who

represents the best of FHWA and 

those of us who are committed to 

advancing safety. 

Karen Y. Scurry was selected for 

the Field Safety Peer Award based 

on nominations 

from six FHWA 

division office 

safety 

engineers. 

Karen has been 

instrumental in 

helping States 

advance their 

capabilities as they plan and 

implement highway safety 

improvement projects using a 

performance-driven process. This 

fact alone attests to her status as a 

highly respected resource in the 

safety community. Karen oversees 

the Highway Safety Improvement 

Program (HSIP) for the agency and 

has led the development of HSIP 

technical documents and tools 

including the Crash Modification 

Factor (CMF) clearinghouse. 

Recently, Karen led the effort to 

bring together 50 States and two 

territories for a national safety peer 

exchange and subsequent annual 

virtual regional safety peer

exchanges. Karen’s dedication to the 

safety profession, the discipline, and 

FHWA is the among the finest cases 

of leadership by example.

Howard Anderson Lifetime 

Achievement Award

Ken has had an 

impact on the 

highway safety

profession and 

community both

in California and 

across the 

country. He has 

served the 

transportation safety community as 

an FHWA employee since 1988. Ken 

served in multiple positions 

throughout that time and is currently 

the safety program manager in the 

FHWA California Division. For more 

than 32 years, Ken has 

demonstrated division, statewide, 

and national leadership in advancing 

innovation and showing dedication, 

as well as an unparalleled passion 

for championing traffic safety in the 

many activities he has led. Whether 

volunteering or being invited to lead, 

Ken has been engaged in numerous 

safety-improving and impactful 

activities throughout his career. Ken 

will be retiring soon and will leave a 

legacy of passion and commitment 

to safety.

It is for this dedication to a lifetime of 

improving highway safety and 

commitment to quality that Ken is 

receiving the Howard Anderson 

Lifetime Achievement Award.

Field Leadership Safety Award

This year, for the first time, the 

safety discipline is introducing the

Field Leadership Safety Award to 

recognize a division administrator, 

deputy division administrator, or 

Federal Lands Division director for 

outstanding leadership that 

advances safety. The winner of this 

award will be announced at a later

date.

For more information, please contact 

Adam Larsen at 

adam.larsen@dot.gov. 

2021 National Roadway 

Safety Awards Call for 

Nominations

By Bruce Hamilton, Managing Director, 

Roadway Safety Foundation

The FHWA has again teamed up 

with the Roadway Safety Foundation 

(RSF) to cosponsor the 2021 

National Roadway Safety Awards. 

Every 2 years, this prestigious 

awards program honors public 

agencies and organizations in the 

transportation community that have 

developed innovative safety plans or 

implemented data-driven 

engineering or operational 

improvements that significantly 

reduce deaths and serious injuries. 

Criteria for determining winning 

projects include effectiveness, 

innovation, and resource efficiency. 

Awards are given in two categories:

Jeffrey A. King.

(Source: FHWA)

Karen Y. Scurry.

(Source: FHWA)

Ken Kochevar.

(Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 4 –

• Infrastructure and operational 

improvements

• Program planning, development, 

and evaluation

Selected projects and programs are 

included in a noteworthy practices 

guide so they can be replicated 

nationwide. Award winners are also 

honored at a ceremony with senior 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

(USDOT) officials on Capitol Hill and 

receive assistance generating 

positive media coverage in their 

home communities. For more than 2

decades, this program has shined a 

spotlight on practitioners who are the 

unsung heroes of highway safety, 

and we are delighted to be able to 

keep the tradition going once again. 

At this time, we anticipate holding an 

in-person luncheon ceremony this 

fall; however, contingency plans for 

a virtual event are also in the works. 

Know of a Groundbreaking, 

Innovative Road Safety Project or 

Program?

Applications are being accepted

through May 28, 2021. Note that 

only public agencies may serve as 

lead applicants for an award; 

however, nonprofits or private 

entities may cosponsor a submission 

provided they are in partnership with 

a public agency.

For more information, please contact 

Norah Ocel at norah.ocel@dot.gov

or Bruce Hamilton at 

brucehamilton@roadwaysafety.org.

Mentoring, Assistance, 

Training, and 

Communication Help

(MATCH): Technical 

Assistance Program for 

Local and Tribal Agencies to 

Improve Roadway Safety

By Rosemarie Anderson, FHWA Office of 

Safety

FHWA recently launched the

MATCH program to provide broadbased technical assistance to local 

and Tribal agencies facing roadway 

safety challenges. The program 

connects agencies requesting 

assistance (mentees) with peer 

mentors who have specific expertise 

to help successfully address the 

identified challenges. The technical 

assistance is free for mentees, and 

mentors volunteer their time to help 

peers. 

Local and Tribal agencies own and 

operate approximately 75 percent of 

the Nation’s roadway network, many 

of which are in rural areas. Although 

FHWA and State departments of 

transportation (DOT) have a history 

of working with local and Tribal 

agencies to improve safety on local 

and Tribal roads, only a finite 

number of safety practitioners in the 

multitude of local road agencies can 

be reached. This program will 

augment efforts by FHWA and 

support local and Tribal road 

practitioners with integrating safety 

into their roadway programs. The 

diversity of these agencies leads to a 

variety of ways that roadway safety 

problems are addressed and 

evaluated. This means there are 

varying degrees of success of safety 

implementations, and a mentoring 

program allows for the potential to 

learn from and build on previous 

experience from peers.

Local and Tribal agencies often face 

unique safety challenges on their 

roads involving roadway departure, 

intersection safety, speed 

management, and pedestrian and 

bicyclist safety. The MATCH 

program leverages the mentor’s 

knowledge and experience to 

provide short-term technical 

assistance to local and Tribal 

agencies wanting to resolve safety 

or safety-related concerns or issues. 

Mentors will assist in identifying the 

problem and recommend 

appropriate strategies for

implementation when paired with 

mentees. This enables mentee 

agencies to benefit from this 

knowledge to potentially save lives 

and reduce serious injuries on the 

roadways. 

All local and Tribal agencies are 

eligible to apply for technical 

assistance from a mentor through 

the MATCH program. For 

assistance, prospective mentee 

agencies must fill out and submit a 

National Roadway Safety Award.

(Source: FHWA)

MATCH program logo. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 5 –

short online application. Requests 

must be directly submitted by a 

public official. When necessary, 

FHWA may coordinate with the 

mentee’s respective State DOT or 

FHWA division office to support the 

mentoring request. Once a request 

is submitted, the program manager 

will reach out to the applicant within 

48 hours. Upon approval for the 

program, the applicant will be 

matched with a mentor. 

Public agency transportation safety 

professionals who have specific 

expertise related to local or Tribal 

road safety can serve as mentors. 

Mentors must be actively employed 

by or retired from a public 

transportation agency with a 

minimum of 5 years of continuous 

transportation safety experience. 

Mentor’s schedules will be 

accommodated; however, they will 

be asked to make a commitment to 

assist the mentees. Both mentors 

and mentees will be required to 

produce a short report once the 

activity is completed in an effort to 

document and share noteworthy 

practices. 

Mentoring can be provided in the 

form of phone calls, email 

exchanges, web conferences, or site 

visits. The level of mentoring will 

vary based on the mentee’s needs. 

The MATCH coordinator will match 

mentors with mentees based on the 

required expertise and mentor 

availability and will identify the best 

mentoring delivery method. 

Local and Tribal agencies interested 

in receiving technical assistance 

through the MATCH program should 

fill out the application available at

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rura

l/MATCH.

To learn more about the MATCH 

program, visit

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rura

l/MATCH or contact Rosemarie 

Anderson at 

rosemarie.anderson@dot.gov.

SAFETY-DRIVEN CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS

Mainstreaming Safety 

Improvement—How 

Agencies Are Assessing 

Safety on All Projects

By Phillip Bobitz, FHWA Office of Safety

If I were to ask you, How is safety 

incorporated in your agency’s 

approach to delivering transportation 

projects? or, Is improving safety a 

goal or an afterthought on your 

projects?, I expect the responses 

would vary. The responses would 

likely be mixed with a few “it 

depends,” and there would be a wide 

variety of approaches to integrating 

safety throughout all projects and 

programs. 

Project funding, improvement type 

(e.g., new construction, 

preservation), and the safety culture 

of an agency can influence the 

extent to which safety is assessed 

and incorporated into projects, 

especially those outside the 

traditional safety engineering 

programs. However, safety should 

be a given on all transportation 

projects, not an addition or a 

secondary consideration. 

Regardless of whether the project 

purpose is safety-related, every 

project is an opportunity to improve 

safety. 

Several State DOTs have 

implemented policies and 

procedures to incorporate safety 

assessments on all projects to assist 

in making meaningful safety 

investments that yield optimal safety 

performance. Here are a few 

examples of approaches that 

agencies have instituted to 

incorporate safety beyond the typical 

safety-focused projects. 

Washington State Department of 

Transportation’s “Sustainable 

Safety Related Policy” requires all 

projects to complete a scalable 

safety analysis using its Safety 

Analysis Guide. The guidance 

provides information on the scope 

and methodology of a safety 

analysis by project type for each 

funding subprogram (e.g.,

preservation, mobility improvement, 

If you are interested in serving as a mentor, email MATCH@dot.gov and provide your 

name, agency (or prior agency if retired), job position/role, years of relevant 

experience, relevant certifications (if appropriate), and description of areas/expertise 

where you feel you would best serve as a mentor.
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 6 –

safety improvement) and each 

document needing a safety analysis 

(e.g., design analyses, interstate 

access requests, intersection control 

evaluations). The policy takes a 

performance-based practical design 

approach, and directs the use of 

effective and efficient resources, 

such as the Highway Safety Manual

(HCM), to diagnose, quantify, and 

predict safety performance to 

achieve the goals of the Washington 

State Strategic Highway Safety Plan: 

Target Zero.

Wisconsin Department of 

Transportation (WisDOT) 

implemented the Safety Certification 

Process (SCP) to improve the 

efficiency of WisDOT’s safety 

processes, increase consistency of 

safety analysis from project to 

project, and document the decisionmaking process. The SCP applies to 

all projects, except majors (per the 

State’s definition), and consists of six 

elements: determining the project’s 

potential safety concerns, validating 

historical crash data with crash 

vetting, determining safety mitigation

strategies and countermeasures, 

evaluating the safety performance of 

mitigation alternatives, applying 

economic appraisals to potential 

safety improvements, and 

documenting through a safety 

certification document. This process 

has allowed WisDOT to be more 

efficient with its transportation 

funding and improve the overall 

safety performance of its system.

Louisiana Department of 

Transportation and Development

(LaDOTD) established guidelines for 

safety improvements on 

preservation, rehabilitation, and 

replacement (PRR) projects. The 

guidelines require that a safety 

assessment process checklist be 

completed for all PRR projects to 

identify abnormal locations or 

overrepresented crash types. If any 

intersection, roadway section, or 

spot section is determined to be 

abnormal or shows an 

overrepresented crash type, safety 

countermeasures must be 

considered after completing a Road 

Safety Audit (RSA). If the project 

does not require an RSA, the 

districts need to fill out the 

LaDOTD's baseline safety 

improvements checklist and indicate 

if low-cost countermeasures have 

been considered. The low-cost 

countermeasures include items such 

as rumble strips, oversized signs, 

pavement wedge, and removing 

foliage to improve sight distances. 

The process has allowed LaDOTD to 

integrate safety improvements into 

PRR projects and has created a 

coordinated, department wide focus 

on safety.

Agencies can use a variety of safety 

assessment methods such as those 

noted above as they make 

investment decisions and develop 

projects. To reach our goal of zero 

deaths and serious injuries, it is 

going to take a collective effort and 

all of us to take ownership in safety. 

We must get to a point where safety 

needs are considered at every stage 

of the project development process, 

every investment decision considers 

the impact on safety, and every 

federally funded project includes 

appropriate safety features and 

improvements.

For more information, contact Phillip 

Bobitz at phillip.bobitz@dot.gov.

Addressing Motorcyclists’

Safety Issues

By Guan Xu, FHWA Office of Safety

According to the latest Traffic Fact 

Sheet: Motorcycles, published by the 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA) in 2019, in 

the United States motorcyclists 

represent more than 14 percent of 

traffic fatalities, while motorcycles 

represent only about 3 percent of 

registered motor vehicles and less 

than 1 percent of vehicle miles 

traveled. With the continued efforts 

by USDOT and its safety partners, 

motor vehicle (passenger cars, 

pickups, sport utility vehicles, etc.) 

fatalities have decreased during the 

past 2 decades. Unfortunately, 

motorcycle fatalities have increased 

significantly in the same period.

Pursuant to Section 1426 of the 

Fixing America's Surface 

Transportation (FAST) Act, FHWA 

established the Motorcyclist Advisory 

Council (MAC) in 2017. The mission 

of MAC, as required by the FAST 

Act, is to coordinate with and advise 

FHWA on infrastructure issues of 

concern to motorcyclists, including: 

1) barrier design, 2) road design, 

construction, and maintenance 

practices, and 3) the architecture 

“Regardless of whether the 

project purpose is safety-related, 

every project is an opportunity to 

improve safety.”

– Phillip Bobitz
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 7 –

and implementation of intelligent 

transportation system (ITS)

technologies.

Since its establishment, MAC has

held five public meetings—three in

person and two virtually—to discuss 

issues relevant to the three areas of 

concern and the development of 

MAC recommendations. In early 

2020, MAC published Motorcyclist 

Advisory Council Recommendations 

to the Secretary of Transportation 

and the Federal Highway 

Administration, a recommendations

report for the topics specified in the 

FAST Act. 

FHWA has been collaborating with 

stakeholders toward achieving the 

goal of zero traffic deaths. In these

efforts, motorcyclists’ safety issues

will need to be recognized and 

addressed. Upon receiving the MAC 

recommendations report, FHWA 

launched a project to investigate and 

implement MAC’s recommendations 

for reducing motorcycle fatalities. 

The project will collect and analyze 

the current state of practice and 

state of research related to barrier 

design, roadway geometrics, 

maintenance practices, pavement 

design, and ITS technology 

concerning motorcyclists’ safety. 

Determining the state of practice will 

lead to identifying implementation 

and research needs and 

corresponding projects to address 

MAC recommendations. The final 

products from the project will 

include: 

• A synthesis on barrier design for 

motorcyclists’ safety

• Recommendations on specific 

areas of geometric and pavement 

design that should change to 

better accommodate 

motorcyclists

• Noteworthy practices to reduce 

motorcycle crashes

• A synthesis on vehicle-toinfrastructure and connected 

automated vehicle technology 

applications for motorcycles

All information related to MAC can 

be found on the FHWA Office of 

Safety website, including five MAC 

meeting minutes and the 

recommendation report. 

For more information, please contact 

Guan Xu at guan.xu@dot.gov. 

Safe Transportation for 

Every Pedestrian (STEP) UP 

Focuses on Five Key 

Pedestrian Safety Issues

By Rebecca Crowe, FHWA Office of Safety

It’s as easy as 1–2–3...or 5! FHWA’s 

STEP UP campaign is focusing on 

five key issues that include nighttime 

crossings, older pedestrians, 

midblock crossings, traffic speeds, 

and multilane crossings. STEP UP 

and learn how a variety of 

countermeasures can address each 

issue and improve pedestrian 

crossing safety!

Pedestrian Crossings at Night

In 2018, 76 percent of all pedestrian 

fatalities in the United States 

occurred during dark conditions 

Agencies should first consider 

installing overhead lighting and highvisibility crosswalks at pedestrian 

crossing locations. At intersections, 

overhead lighting is estimated to 

reduce all types of injury crashes by 

27 percent; outside of intersections, 

overhead lighting is estimated to 

reduce all types of injury crashes by 

23 percent. Rectangular rapid 

flashing beacons (RRFBs) can also 

alert drivers to pedestrians who are 

crossing in dark conditions. 

Pedestrian Crossings between 

Intersections

Most pedestrian fatalities nationwide 

occur outside of intersections (74 

percent of all pedestrian fatalities in 

2018). People walking prefer to 

travel to their destination in the most 

direct or convenient path possible. A 

midblock crosswalk can 

accommodate a pedestrian’s 

preferred crossing location and 

visually mark where motorists can 

expect to see pedestrians crossing. 

Countermeasures like RRFBs, 

pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), 

and pedestrian refuge islands can 

improve the visibility of a crosswalk. 

Crossings for Older Pedestrians

Older pedestrians are particularly 

vulnerable in the event of a crash—

they are more likely to suffer 

increased levels of injury compared 

to younger-aged pedestrians. 

Pedestrians aged 65 and older are 

also overrepresented in pedestrian 

fatalities (21 percent of all pedestrian 

fatalities in 2018). LPIs, pedestrian 

refuge islands, raised crosswalks, 

and road diets help improve crossing 

safety for older pedestrians. The 

head start at intersections provided 

by LPIs can help pedestrians who 

are crossing at slower walking 

speeds. Road diets and raised 

crosswalks provide an additional 

benefit by reducing vehicle speeds 

and reducing crossing distance for 
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 8 –

people who need more time to cross 

the street.

Slowing Speeds at Crossings

A comprehensive study by the AAA 

Foundation concluded that an adult 

pedestrian who is struck by a motor 

vehicle traveling at 25 miles per hour 

(mph) has an estimated 10 percent

chance of suffering a serious or fatal 

injury. If a vehicle traveling at 40

mph hits an adult pedestrian, there is 

a 75 percent chance the pedestrian 

will sustain a severe or fatal injury.

Research also suggests that lower 

speeds are associated with higher 

rates of motorists yielding to 

pedestrians. Several STEP 

countermeasures have 

demonstrated traffic calming benefits

for drivers and pedestrians. 

Roadway features with vertical 

deflection, such as raised 

crosswalks, are most effective; 

horizontal design features such as 

road diets, curb extensions, and 

pedestrian refuge islands can shift 

travel direction and reduce speeds. 

Increasing Visibility at Multilane 

Crossings

Without adequate traffic controls, 

roadways with multiple travel lanes 

or on-street parking may have

increased risk for pedestrian 

crashes. Adjacent vehicles, whether 

parked or in travel lanes, can 

obscure a motorist’s view of a 

pedestrian in the crosswalk. RRFBs

or PHBs improve visibility and 

reinforce the requirement for 

motorists to yield the right-of-way to 

pedestrians. Advance yield or stop 

signs and pavement markings are 

placed in advance of a marked 

crosswalk and indicate where 

motorists are required to stop or 

yield so they do not block the 

visibility of the crosswalk. 

The STEP program provides 

technical assistance to agencies 

across the United States and has 

produced a variety of educational 

resources, such as tech sheets and 

videos, to promote each of the 

countermeasures. The STEP team 

has worked with dozens of States to 

develop near-term action plans, 

conduct RSAs, and lead training 

workshops. If you would like to learn 

more, please consider requesting 

technical assistance offered through 

the STEP program. 

For more information, contact Becky 

Crowe at rebecca.crowe@dot.gov or 

Peter Eun, FHWA Resource Center,

at peter.eun@dot.gov. To learn more 

about the STEP countermeasures, 

visit the STEP web page. 

Advancing the Safe System 

Approach through 

Intersections

By Jeffrey Shaw, FHWA Office of Safety

In 2019 there were 10,180 people 

killed in intersection-related 

crashes.1 While the United States 

continues to make noteworthy 

progress implementing safer 

intersections like roundabouts, the 

intersection safety challenge 

remains acute. A growing number of 

States are also adopting Intersection 

Control Evaluation (ICE) policies to 

ensure more explicit consideration of 

safety performance during project 

scoping and alternative selection. 

This is encouraging progress. Now, 

as the United States begins its 

journey forward with the Safe 

System Approach, a new procedure 

is available to allow practitioners to 

consider Safe System Approach 

principles when planning and 

designing intersections.

From an infrastructure perspective, 

the Safe System Approach involves 

managing the circumstances of 

crashes so the kinetic energy 

imposed on the human body is kept 

at tolerable levels based on 

physiological limits. Rather than 

striving for total elimination of 

crashes, the strategy pivots to 

managing the mechanical forces 

involved in crashes in order to 

reduce or eliminate the risk of death 

or serious injury. At an intersection, 

this is accomplished through 

managing speed and crash angles, 

as well as considering exposure and 

complexity. 

The new Safe System-Based 

Framework and Analytical 

Methodology for Assessing 

Intersections describes the 

framework and provides an 

analytical procedure to calculate 

scores for different intersection 

alternatives. The analytical 

procedure consists of four parts: 

• Conflict point identification and 

classification

• Exposure

• Conflict point severity

• Movement complexity

The results of the procedure provide

multiple measures of effectiveness 

and a proposed set of Safe System 

1

According to the NHTSA FARS 

Annual Report File, 2019.
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 9 –

Intersection (SSI) scores. The score 

for each intersection alternative 

ranges from zero to 100, with higher 

scores representing higher levels of 

Safe System performance (i.e., less

chance of fatalities and serious 

injuries).

The table below illustrates results 

from a hypothetical example to 

demonstrate the range and types of 

SSI scores, as well as how scores 

for familiar alternatives might 

compare to each other based on 

Safe System Approach principles.

When completed as part of an ICE 

Stage 1, and along with a crashbased analysis consistent with the 

HSM, the SSI scores can add 

another dimension to the 

consideration of safety performance 

to inform the selection of a preferred 

alternative. As the FHWA Safety 

Program rolls out SSI to the 

practitioner community, the feedback 

received will likely influence 

improvements to the framework and 

methodology for future updates and 

expansion.

For more information, please contact 

Jeff Shaw at jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov.

Safe System Intersection (SSI) Scores

Intersection Type Overall

NonmotorizedCrossing 

Conflicts

Merging 

Conflicts

Diverging 

Conflicts

2x1 Roundabout 52 8 93 98 100

Median U-Turn 44 10 52 83 88

2x2 Roundabout 42 4 90 98 100

Signalized Restricted Crossing U-Turn 40 5 74 77 86

Bowtie 31 4 23 94 96

Quadrant Roadway 30 6 14 93 94

Jughandle 27 3 18 93 97

Signalized Conventional (Existing No-Build) 24 2 19 93 100

Unsignalized Restricted Crossing U-Turn 19 0 65 69 86

Full Displaced Left-Turn 10 0 32 91 97

Partial Displaced Left-Turn 9 0 26 91 97

Commuter Authority Rail 

Safety Improvement (CARSI) 

Project Highlights

By Esther Strawder, FHWA Office of Safety

In August 2020, USDOT issued a 

Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(NOFO) for a new CARSI 

discretionary grant program. This 

resulted in the selection and award 

of five rail-crossing safety grant 

projects for eligible commuter rail 

authorities with a cumulative Federal 

value of more than $40 million. 

USDOT announced the selected 

CARSI projects for this first round of 

grant funding in January 2021. 

An eligible commuter authority must 

have experienced at least one 

accident investigated by the National 

Transportation Safety Board

between January 1, 2008, and 

December 31, 2018, and for which 

NTSB issued an accident report. The 

purpose of the CARSI grant program 

is to provide funding for the 

elimination of hazards at railwayhighway crossings as described 

under 23 U.S.C. 130(a). This

includes:

• Separation or protection of 

grades at crossings

• Reconstruction of existing 

railroad grade crossing structures

• Relocation of highways to 

eliminate grade crossings

• Projects at grade crossings to 

eliminate hazards posed by 

blocked grade crossings due to 

idling trains 

The projects selected in 

Pennsylvania, New York, California, 

Massachusetts, and Washington are 

great examples of the various types 

of safety improvements that can 

have an impact on daily interactions 

for all users at highway-rail 

crossings. The improvements range 

from installing pedestrian gates to 

providing advanced traffic signal 

preemption. For example, the 

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit 
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 10 –

Authority projects will impact 20 

separate locations to upgrade 

pavement markings and install new 

four-quadrant gates at three of those 

locations. New York State 

Department of Transportation has 

identified nine separate locations for 

improvements on the Harlem Line of 

Metro North Railroad. California will 

be pursuing two projects along the 

Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line 

near the Cosgwell Road and Tyler 

Avenue rail crossings. These 

projects also show the growing 

willingness of State DOTs to 

collaborate with transit authorities to 

improve rail safety.

A list of the selected projects is 

available on the FHWA web page.

FHWA will issue a second CARSI 

NOFO later this year on 

https://www.grants.gov/ with the 

same eligibility requirements so stay 

tuned.

For more information, please contact 

Esther Strawder at 

esther.strawder@dot.gov. 

LEARNING TOGETHER

Advancing Implementation 

of the Safe System 

Approach: Resources You 

Can Use

By Danielle Betkey, Chimai Ngo, Jeff Shaw, 

and Karen Scurry, FHWA Office of Safety

Imagine a future in the United States 

where no one dies in a traffic-related 

crash. Thinking about safety requires 

a paradigm shift in how we perceive 

the problem. Rather than accepting 

fatalities and serious injuries as a 

price for mobility, the philosophy of 

the Safe System Approach is 

grounded in an ethical imperative 

that no one should be killed or 

injured when using the road system.

FHWA supports the long-term vision 

of zero deaths on our Nation’s 

highways and recognizes that the 

Safe System Approach is how we 

get there. 

Spreading the Word about the 

Safe System Approach

A key factor in successful 

implementation of the Safe System 

Approach is educating transportation 

professionals. FHWA developed 

marketing and outreach materials to 

support education activities. Federal, 

State, regional, and local safety 

professionals can include the Safe 

System Approach as part of every 

discussion and schedule formal 

opportunities to promote the Safe 

System Approach at various 

conferences and events.

The following resources are 

available to broaden understanding 

of the Safe System Approach:

• The Safe System Approach flyer

provides a high-level overview of

the principles and core elements 

of the Safe System Approach. It 

also presents the differences 

between this new approach and 

traditional road safety practices. 

• The Safe System Approach 

presentation introduces the Safe 

System Approach with in-depth 

discussions of its principles and 

elements. It contains both 

speaker notes and background 

information and can be tailored 

for delivery to State and local 

audiences.

• On March 10, FHWA hosted a 

webinar to walk through the 

content of the presentation. If you 

missed the webinar, you can 

listen to the recording and 

consider how you might help

spread the word—for example, 

which of your partners and 

stakeholders might benefit from 

this presentation and how you 

might reach these audiences 

(e.g., via webinar, conference, 

board meeting). 

For additional information, contact 

chimai.ngo@dot.gov. 

Integrating the Safe System 

Approach in Existing Safety 

Programs

The HSIP, which sets the funding 

and policy tone for national safety 

implementation efforts, is a key 

place to start implementing the Safe 

System Approach. The informational 

report on Integrating the Safe 

System Approach with the Highway 

Safety Improvement Program

explores the relationship between 

the Safe System Approach and the 

HSIP. It examines foundational 

elements of the HSIP and the major 

program features of the State 

Strategic Highway Safety Plan 

(SHSP) and State HSIP as 

compared to Safe System Approach

principles. This report demonstrates 

that while Safe System Approach

principles are currently present in 

many components of the State 

SHSP and HSIP processes, there 
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 11 –

are additional opportunities to bring 

these two key safety programs into 

further alignment with Safe System 

Approach principles and elements. 

The report concludes with a 

discussion of next steps for Federal 

and State safety stakeholders to 

advance the implementation of the 

Safe System Approach through 

these existing safety programs. Each 

chapter includes a series of 

questions Federal, State, and local 

partners responsible for roadway 

safety can use to identify Statespecific opportunities to move 

toward a safe system.

On March 25, FHWA hosted a 

webinar featuring a panel discussion 

with presentations from FHWA on 

the report and two State agencies 

discussed their experiences with 

integrating Safe System Approach

principles into the HSIP and SHSP. 

If you missed the webinar, you can 

view the recording here.

For additional information about 

integrating the Safe System 

Approach into your existing safety 

programs, contact Danielle Betkey at 

danielle.betkey@dot.gov or Karen 

Scurry at karen.scurry@dot.gov. 

Implementing the Safe System 

Approach in Project Development 

A safe system can be most effective 

when it institutionalizes its 

implementation at all levels of 

roadway planning and engineering, 

and across all disciplines that have a 

hand in supporting roadway safety.

The Safe System-based Framework 

and Analytical Methodology for 

Assessing Intersections report is 

focused on the practitioner 

community. It provides a basis to 

assess intersection alternatives 

according to Safe System Approach

principles using a kinetic energy 

management approach. Outreach, 

training, and assistance will be 

offered in 2021. You can read about 

this report in the article by Jeff Shaw 

in this issue, entitled “Advancing the 

Safe System Approach through 

Intersections.” For more information 

contact Jeff Shaw at 

jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov.

The Safe System Approach is a 

relatively new concept in the United 

States and implementation will 

require a one-step-at-a-time,

collaborative approach, which will be 

specific to each implementing 

jurisdiction. Zero is our goal, and a 

safe system is how we get there.

Local Road Safety Plan 

(LRSP) Development in 

California

By Ken Kochevar, FHWA California Division 

Office

Caltrans Division of Local Assistance 

(DLA) agreed to be one of six States 

to participate as a pilot State for 

LRSPs. DLA’s participation started in 

November 2017. 

To maximize the 

effectiveness of this 

effort, Caltrans and 

FHWA partnered to 

educate locals on 

what LRSPs are 

and how to develop 

one. Caltrans DLA 

set up a timeline to 

implement the 

LRSP culture over 

approximately 3 

years. The timeline 

encouraged an 

LRSP for the Cycle 10 HSIP call-forprojects in May 2020 and mandates 

an LRSP or equivalent plan (e.g., 

Systemic Safety Analysis Report, 

Vision Zero Action Plan) for the 

Cycle 11 HSIP call-for-projects in 

May 2022 in order to be able to 

apply for HSIP funding.

Education was accomplished 

through two peer exchanges, 

multiple in-person trainings, and four 

virtual trainings. The virtual trainings 

were recently completed in March 

2021. More than 800 locals 

participated in the four 1-day 

trainings. The trainings were 

organized in two parts. The morning 

presentations covered FHWA’s highpriority focus areas of ped/bike, 

roadway departure, and 

intersections. The afternoon 

presentations covered LRSPs, 

RSAs, and the systemic and 

incremental approach. This training 

originated from a specific action in 

the SHSP challenge area of roadway 

departure.

In addition to the education 

component, Caltrans directed $18 

million of its local safety funding 

Virtual training session. (Source: FHWA CA Division)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 12 –

toward the development of LRSPs. 

This was done through two different 

calls: one in 2019 and one in 2020. 

In the first call, locals could apply for 

up to $80,000 per agency. In the 

second call, locals were granted a 

dollar amount between $40,000 and 

$180,000 per agency, depending on 

a population and mileage formula to 

ensure equity.

California is realizing its overall goal 

of having every local agency develop 

an LRSP, or an equivalent plan. As 

of February 2021, 313 local 

agencies (approximately 58 percent 

of all local agencies in California)

have completed or started an LRSP. 

The hope is that LRSPs will cover all 

areas where safety needs to be 

improved that the SHSP priorities 

don’t cover, as well as create a more 

unified effort of reaching our goal of 

Toward Zero Fatalities and Serious 

Injuries by 2050.

For more information, contact Ken 

Kochevar at ken.kochevar@dot.gov

or Charles Meyer at 

charles.meyer@dot.gov. 

National Work Zone 

Awareness Week (NWZAW): 

"Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save 

Lives”

By Martha C. Kapitanov, FHWA Office of 

Operations

Over the past 10 years, fatal crashes 

in work zones nationally have 

increased from 521 in 2010 to 762 in 

2019. The percent of all fatal 

crashes that occur in work zones 

has also increased. From 2010 to 

2019, work zone fatalities nationally 

have remained at approximately 2 

percent of total fatalities.2 Whereas 

1.7 percent of all fatal 

crashes in 2010 

occurred in work 

zones, 2.3 percent of 

all fatal crashes in 

2019 occurred in work 

zones. These trends 

mimic those of overall 

vehicular travel in the 

United States as well 

as highway and street 

construction 

expenditures, as 

illustrated in the graphs

to the right.

Unfortunately, as 

shown by the following 

statistics, work zone 

fatalities increased in 

2019:

• From 2018 to 2019, 

work zone fatalities

increased by 11 

percent, while all 

roadway fatalities 

decreased by 2 

percent.3

• Relative to 2018, 

there was a 13 

percent increase in 

2019 in the total 

number of fatal 

work zone crashes. 

• Fatal work zone 

crashes involving 

large trucks or 

buses increased by 

16 percent.

• Crashes involving a 

rear-end collision 

increased by 29 

percent. 

• The number of fatal 

work zone crashes

Fatal Work Zone Crashes and Percent of Fatal Crashes 

Occurring in Work Zones 2010–2019. (Source: NHTSA 

Fatality Analysis Reporting System [FARS])

Annual Vehicle Miles Travelled and Highway/Street 

Construction Expenditures: 2010–2019. (Source: Bureau 

of Transportation Statistics and Federal Reserve Bank of St. 

Louis)

2 NHTSA, FARS 2010–2018 Final File and 2019 Annual 

Report File; FARS data shown here are from the 50 States, 

the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

3 NHTSA, FARS 2019 Traffic Fatality Data; FARS data shown 

here are from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 

Puerto Rico.

4 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019. 
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 13 –

where speed was a factor 

increased by nearly 40 percent.

• Worker fatalities in road 

construction sites increased by 

nearly 9 percent between 2018 

and 2019.4

For NWZAW, on April 27 FHWA 

joined the Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration, National 

Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA), American 

Traffic Safety Services Association, 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration, American 

Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials, American 

Road & Transportation Builders 

Association, Associated General 

Contractors of America, and the 

Michigan Department of 

Transportation (MDOT) to raise 

awareness of work zone safety 

during the kickoff event. As part of 

this effort, MDOT and the NWZAW 

Executive Committee developed a 

downloadable NWZAW poster and 

FHWA developed a fact sheet for 

widespread distribution among its

work zone safety partners and 

stakeholders. 

The 2021 theme is “Drive Safe. 

Work Safe. Save Lives.”

Drive Safe. A reminder that work 

zones need everyone’s undivided 

attention. When approaching a work 

zone, motorists should always slow 

down, follow all posted signs, be 

alert, and remain calm. Risky driving 

behavior affects more than just the 

driver—everyone’s lives and families 

are at stake.

Work Safe. Technology is helping to 

make work zones safer by collecting 

data and automating processes, 

which can remove workers from 

dangerous situations and provide 

motorists with important information. 

It is also a reminder that work zone 

safety begins with workers who are 

dedicated to safety.

Save Lives. If we ALL work 

together, we can achieve zero 

deaths on our roads and in our work 

zones!

FHWA is also working to increase 

work zone safety with the Work Zone 

Data Exchange (WZDx) project. 

WZDx is an open-source data feed 

that makes live, accurate, and 

actionable work zone data available 

for use by third parties, such as 

mapping companies. The intent of 

the WZDx project is to make travel 

on public roads safer and smarter 

where navigation systems, drivers,

and eventually automated vehicles 

can be informed about work zones in 

their path, improving roadway safety 

nationwide. To encourage adoption 

of WZDx, FHWA recently launched 

the “Put Work Zones on the Map”

campaign, an awareness effort to 

educate and engage potential 

partners, including mapping 

companies, vehicle and vehicle 

technology manufacturers, 

construction companies, and State 

and local DOTs on the capabilities, 

benefits, and progress of WZDx. 

For more information on work zone 

management training, regulations, 

resources, and tools visit the FHWA 

Work Zone Management website

and the National Work Zone Safety 

Information Clearinghouse website.

For more information, contact 

Martha Kapitanov at 

martha.kapitanov@dot.gov. 

It Was Me

By Triny Willerton, It Could Be Me (nonprofit)

My name is Triny Willerton. I am a 

wife, mom of five, triathlete, and 

cyclist. I was not athletic growing up 

but was very fortunate to have a very 

healthy metabolism. Everything 

changed when I started having my 

children. I gained a lot of weight with 

each pregnancy, and when my last 

baby was born, I found myself with a 

body I didn't like or recognize. I 

joined a program at my gym and 

successfully lost all the weight. I 

discovered triathlon and cycling soon 

after that and instantly fell in love 

with both. I loved how they made me 

feel, and I found a strength I never 

knew I had. I also found my best 

friends in the triathlon community. I 

started racing more and training 

harder. My kids were all in school, 

and I could do my training around 

their schedules. Triathlons became a 

fundamental part of me. I even met 

my husband at a race. Our dates 

consisted of long bike rides, which 

we both loved. 

On May 8, 2018, I was on one of my 

last triathlon training rides in Boulder 

when a careless driver hit me with 

his truck. I was doing everything 

Triny Willerton, president of It Could 

Be Me. (Source: It Could Be Me)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 14 –

right, yet he hit me and changed my 

life forever. I was in the hospital for 6 

days. My body sustained more than 

a dozen fractures and a punctured 

lung. It is a miracle that I survived 

and that I was able to recover the 

way I have. My doctors concur that it 

was due to how fit and strong I was.

I don't want anyone to live through 

what I did, and I don't want people to 

be scared when they are riding, or 

when someone they love is riding. 

So I have been working hard to 

create safer roads for all vulnerable 

users.

In 2019 I was involved in testifying 

and promoting Colorado Senate bill 

175, a bill concerning penalties for 

drivers who cause injuries to 

vulnerable road users. The bill 

passed, and I had the honor of 

witnessing it being signed into law by 

Colorado Governor Jared Polis. This 

new law drastically changes the 

consequences for careless drivers 

involved in a crash in the State of 

Colorado.

I believe there are many layers to 

the problem concerning motorists 

and vulnerable users of the road. I 

recognize that people especially lack 

empathy for cyclists. Drivers often 

see us as obstacles and annoyances 

they have to put up with on the road. 

They fail to acknowledge that we are 

all the same. We are all people. We 

are moms, dads, sons, and 

daughters, and we want to make it 

back home safely every time. We 

need to look out for each other.

I created #itcouldbeme to change all 

of this. My goal is to bring 

awareness and empathy toward all 

vulnerable users of the road and 

make long-term change. I see it as a 

four-fold movement:

1. A relentless visual campaign

We give identities to those otherwise 

anonymous bodies on bicycles to 

change cyclist and motorist 

relationships on the road. My idea is 

to create short videos with people 

from all walks of life who share 

something about who they are and

unique things about themselves to 

showcase their personalities. They 

make a vow to follow all the rules of 

the road and ask motorists to look 

out for them and keep them safe. 

They post the video on their social 

media platforms with the hashtag

#itcouldbeme. The goal is to reach 

the most motorists possible, 

especially those who already care 

for the person who created the 

video. The video is emailed to me, 

and I distribute it on all of It Could Be 

Me's social media channels.

2. Policy change

I believe it is crucial to establish 

vulnerable-user laws across the 

country. Through our ambassador 

program, we will serve as liaison 

between potential witnesses and 

lobbyists. We will keep our 

ambassador program open yearround, so it can continue to grow 

with us. We currently have 150 

passionate ambassadors worldwide.

3. Education

I believe education is an essential 

part of effectively creating long-term 

change. We need to reach young 

drivers and show them what proper 

behavior looks like in a relationship 

with vulnerable users on the 

road. We need to reignite empathy 

and community in motorist and 

vulnerable user relationships.

4. Community outreach

It Could Be Me will help the 

community by providing resources 

and support. We created two support 

groups on Facebook and a webinar 

series:

• It Could Be Me – Connect 

(Facebook group): a community 

where crash survivors can find 

support and resources for 

themselves and their loved ones

• It Could Be Me - Let's Ride 

(Facebook group) — a 

community led by three cycling 

education experts and It Could 

Be Me ambassadors—provides a 

place to encourage new cyclists 

to grow and learn

• Safer Roads Together (webinar 

series): in each episode, we chat 

with people who can provide 

support and resources for our 

community. All episodes are 

available on our website

In the future we plan to host inperson bike rides and socials with 

our ambassadors to promote and 

demonstrate acceptable behaviors 

on the road and strengthen our 

It Could Be Me logo. (Source: It Could 

Be Me)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 15 –

community. We will also host

donation drives at local levels to 

provide gear to communities in need. 

Last summer, we produced two 

projects to promote safer roads and 

raise awareness. We teamed up with 

local architectural firm Workshop8 

and painted a mural. It is located on 

a bustling road and has been 

received with open arms by the 

community.

We fundraised for a year and 

produced our first public service 

announcement video, a 90-second 

clip that captures the essence of It 

Could Be Me. We launched it earlier 

this year with great success and 

have received incredible recognition 

and support. Our movement grows 

each day, and so do our goals. I 

know we will make safer roads 

together.

To find out more, please visit 

www.itcouldbeme.org.

DATA AND ANALYSIS

Contributing Factors for 

Focus Crash and Facility 

Types

By Karen Scurry, FHWA Office of Safety, and 

Roya Amjadi, FHWA Turner-Fairbank 

Highway Research Center

Consider a scenario where an 

agency identifies head-on crashes 

as a focus crash type based on the 

number of fatal and severe injury 

crashes of that type. The agency 

notes these crashes are most 

prevalent on rural four-lane road 

segments, so it selects these 

segments as the focus facility type 

for head-on crashes. The agency 

reviews data for all head-on crashes 

that occurred on rural four-lane road 

segments and determines that 

potential contributing factors are

narrow roadway cross sections (i.e., 

lanes and shoulders), narrow or no 

medians, and no median barriers (for 

segments with medians). The 

agency identifies rumble strips as an 

appropriate countermeasure to 

address the contributing factors (i.e., 

centerline rumble strips on undivided 

facilities, median shoulder or 

edgeline rumble strips on divided 

facilities). Since the agency does not 

have sufficient funds to install rumble 

strips on all rural four-lane roads, it

prioritizes candidate locations and 

establishes thresholds for 

countermeasure implementation 

(e.g., rural four-lane roads that have 

lane widths narrower than 11 feet).

This scenario is an example of the 

systemic approach to safety. With 

the systemic approach, proven 

safety countermeasures are widely 

implemented based on high-risk 

roadway features that are correlated 

with particular severe crash types.

As described above, and in FHWA’s

Systemic Safety Project Selection 

Tool, the first step of the systemic 

safety analysis process relies on 

crash, roadway, and traffic data to 

identify focus crash types, focus 

facility types, and potential 

contributing (or risk) factors. 

Agencies with sufficient data and 

analysis capabilities should analyze 

jurisdiction-specific data to identify 

contributing factors for various focus 

crash and facility types. In some 

cases, agencies may not have 

sufficient data or analysis 

capabilities to complete this type of 

analysis for their jurisdiction. 

Therefore, FHWA conducted a 

research project to analyze national 

and State data to identify common 

priorities and published the 

Contributing Factors for Focus Crash 

and Facility Types report and the

Quick Reference Guide. 

Summary Version 

The Quick Reference Guide may be 

helpful to transportation 

professionals who are interested in 

applying a systemic approach to 

road safety management. The guide 

discusses:

• A brief overview of the systemic 

approach

• Common target crash types and 

their associated facility types

• Contributing factors resulting 

from the research

• A six-step process to identify 

countermeasures

• Lists and descriptions of specific 

countermeasures for common 

target crash types and facility 

types 

The common target crash types, 

facility types, and contributing factors 

“With the systemic approach, 

proven safety countermeasures 

are widely implemented based on 

high-risk roadway features that 

are correlated with particular 

severe crash types.”
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 16 –

are based on an analysis of national 

and State data and serve as a quick 

reference for agencies interested in 

applying the systemic safety 

approach to these most common 

crash and facility types. Agencies 

can reference the contributing 

factors in this guide to help identify 

countermeasures and prioritize sites 

for systemic safety improvements. 

Behind the Scenes 

If you’re looking for details behind 

the research, the full report provides 

a more in-depth discussion of the 

data sources, statistical 

methodologies, analysis procedures 

and tools, and results. In summary, 

the focus crash and facility type 

analysis revealed 17 focus crash 

and facility type combinations. For 

the contributing factors analysis, the 

research team used the random

forest method (as described in 

Development of Crash Modification 

Factors: Highway Safety Statistical 

Paper Synthesis) to identify the most 

predictive variables. The team then 

created plots of random forest–

predicted crash frequencies as a 

function of the predictor variables to 

observe the general trends in the 

relationships. This is the first known 

application of random forests in this 

context, and the report offers

recommendations for future 

refinements when using the 

approach. The roadway factors the 

analysis uncovered as influencing 

the frequencies of the different crash 

types were generally consistent with 

existing practice, as well as

expectations that had been based on 

previous research. The table below

summarizes the contributing factors

for intersection and non-intersection 

facility types identified via the 

research.

Table 1 and Table 2 in the Quick 

Reference Guide provide additional 

details about the applicability of 

these contributing factors for the 

different focus crash and facility type 

combinations.

The research also lays out a process 

for identifying and selecting 

countermeasures for focus crash 

types based on contributing factors. 

The countermeasure guidance 

focused on traffic and roadway 

findings. Findings linked to 

socioeconomic- and weather-related 

factors showed promise, but there is 

not yet a significant amount of theory 

to support or refute the 

socioeconomic- and weather-related 

results of this effort. The report 

summarizes countermeasures 

related to the contributing factors for 

the intersection and non-intersection 

focus crash and facility types, 

respectively. 

FHWA’s Evaluation of Low-Cost 

Safety Improvements Pooled Fund 

Study (ELCSI–PFS) sponsored this 

research. The ELCSI–PFS will offer 

two workshops in August 2021. The 

first workshop will promote the 

results of this research to various 

stakeholder communities (e.g.,

university transportation centers, 

Institute of Transportation Engineers

[ITE], American Statistical 

Association). The second workshop 

will better aid practitioners and 

researchers in using the research 

products to identify and implement 

systemic safety improvements. Visit 

the ELCSI–PFS website for 

additional information about the 

study and other research efforts. 

For more information contact Roya 

Amjadi at roya.amjadi@dot.gov or 

Karen Scurry at 

Intersection Non-intersection karen.scurry@dot.gov.

Average annual daily traffic volume (AADT) AADT

Curve radius Percent (%) trucks

Lane width % Grade

Median width Curve radius

Left/Right turn lane channelization Surface width

Speed Shoulder width

Shoulder type

Speed

Lane width

Terrain

Contributing Factors for Focus Crash and Facility Types, FHWA-HRT-20-052, November 

2020. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 17 –

FHWA Releases Report on 

the Impacts of Automated 

Vehicles on Highway 

Infrastructure

By Abdul Zineddin, FHWA Office of Safety, 

Morgan Kessler, FHWA Office of 

Infrastructure R&D, and Carl Andersen, 

FHWA Office of Safety R&D

On March 11, 2021, FHWA released 

Impacts of Automated Vehicles on 

Highway Infrastructure.

Connected and automated vehicle 

technologies have the potential to 

enhance highway safety by 

performing various driver functions 

and maintaining appropriate driver 

attention to traffic and roadway 

conditions. Such technologies can 

have a tremendous impact reducing 

roadway crashes (e.g., lane 

departure warning systems that alert 

the driver when the vehicle drifts 

past the lane markings).

As the vehicle fleet transitions to 

include a greater percentage of 

these vehicles, it is important to 

understand how the infrastructure 

and safety countermeasures need to 

adjust to accommodate the changes.

This project specifically covers the 

reported impacts of automated 

vehicles on highway infrastructure. 

The goal is to provide information to 

stakeholders as they prepare for the 

eventual infrastructure evolution 

driven by the deployment of 

automated vehicles. 

This project does not delve into 

operations or provide policy 

recommendations, although 

infrastructure impacts outlined in this 

report are contingent upon policy 

and operations decisions. This report 

attempts to provide infrastructure 

owner-operators with a list of 

possible impacts of initial automated 

vehicle deployment on roadway 

infrastructure and identifies research 

opportunities based on feedback 

from State and local agencies and

the automated vehicle industry.

For more information, contact Abdul 

Zineddin at abdul.zineddin@dot.gov.

NEW RESOURCE ROUNDUP

FHWA Releases New 

Resources on Bikeway 

Selection

By Tamara Redmon, FHWA Office of Safety

FHWA released two new resources 

intended to supplement its Bikeway 

Selection Guide:

• Traffic Analysis and Intersection 

Considerations to Inform Bikeway 

Selection

• On-Street Motor Vehicle Parking 

and the Bikeway Selection 

Process

Traffic Analysis and Intersection 

Considerations to Inform Bikeway 

Selection is intended to inform tradeoff decisions associated with 

bikeway selection at intersections. It 

discusses common performance 

metrics, spatial needs of bikeways 

at intersections, safety- and 

equity-focused design principles, 

and operational traffic analysis 

trade-offs and assumptions. 

On-Street Motor Vehicle Parking 

and the Bikeway Selection 

Process begins with a discussion 

of on-street parking and bikeway 

types, with associated 

dimensional requirements and 

trade-off considerations. It then 

presents several strategies 

involving choices specifically 

relating to the overlap between 

general purpose on-street parking 

and passenger or commercial 

Car with illustrated connected and 

automated technology. (Source: 

FHWA)

Supplemental documents to the Bikeway 

Selection Guide. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 18 –

loading activities, design details, and 

bikeway selection.

These resources establish 

foundational information for 

transportation agencies to build the 

safest, most effective, and most 

equitable bikeways for their 

transportation networks.

To learn more about these 

resources, contact Tamara Redmon 

at tamara.redmon@dot.gov.

FHWA Releases New 

Countermeasure Service Life 

Guide

By Karen Scurry, FHWA, Scott Himes, VHB, 

Frank Gross, VHB, Kara Peach, VHB, and 

Catherine Chestnutt, VHB

Transportation agencies often 

balance many factors when 

identifying and selecting appropriate

countermeasures for improving 

roadway safety. One component of 

the decision-making process is a 

consistent and reliable method for 

comparing potential benefits of 

countermeasures for installation. 

When agencies are selecting and 

prioritizing countermeasures and 

projects, they need to reasonably 

compare the different options and 

often use crash modification factors 

(CMFs) to support the analysis. 

While CMFs help estimate the 

magnitude of a potential safety 

benefit, they do not reflect the 

service life for each countermeasure. 

Service life is the number of years a 

countermeasure will have a 

noticeable effect on crashes at a 

location.5 Practitioners incorporate 

countermeasure service life in 

benefit-cost analysis (BCA) to 

support a more comprehensive and 

fairer comparison of alternatives in 

the analysis. While FHWA previously 

produced a synthesis of 

countermeasure service life values 

used by States, many States 

indicated a preference for a single 

source that contains typical service 

life for various safety 

countermeasures. 

Overview of the Guide 

The Highway Safety Manual 

Implementation Transportation 

Pooled Fund study TPF-5(255)

sponsored development of the 

Countermeasure Service Life Guide

(FHWA-21-026) for traffic and safety 

engineers, designers, planners, and 

maintenance staff who may not have 

experience with economic analysis. 

The guide intends to help these 

practitioners learn more about 

service lives and how practitioners 

can include service life as part of a 

BCA. Ultimately the guide aims to 

support consistent decision-making 

when practitioners implement safety 

strategies or countermeasures for 

safety projects and programs.

Jason Hershock, manager of the 

Safety Engineering and Risk 

Management unit at the 

Pennsylvania Department of 

Transportation, is looking forward to 

using the guide. He shared, “The 

new FHWA Countermeasure Service 

Life Guide will be a tremendous 

reference for the department. The 

reference will provide acceptable life 

cycles for several safety 

countermeasures, which will provide 

accurate life cycle cost analysis. 

Overall, the new Countermeasure 

Service Life Guide will help the 

department answer the questions, ‘Is 

the project worth the investment?’ 

and ‘Which project options are the 

best to improve safety given the 

current budget?’”

The Countermeasure Service Life 

Guide provides typical service life 

values for common safety strategies 

and countermeasures. The 

development of the guide included a 

review of existing resources (e.g., 

State-agency HSIP manual 

documentation and State-developed 

countermeasure service life lists) 

and literature that contained 

information on the service life of

various countermeasures. A

technical panel composed of 

5 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Highway Safety 

Manual, 1st edition (Washington, DC, 2010).

Countermeasure Service Life Guide.

(Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 19 –

representatives from eight State 

DOTs met and provided suggestions 

based on their experiences. The 

guide organizes the common 

countermeasures into 19 categories 

(shown in the table below), which is 

consistent with those found in the 

CMF Clearinghouse. The guide 

provides a single service life value 

for each countermeasure, and the 

list includes the range for the typical 

service life associated with each 

category.

Potential Applications and 

Benefits 

Countermeasure service life is a key 

component of the BCA process. 

Specifically, practitioners can use 

service life values to select an 

appropriate analysis period and to 

use the equations to convert annual 

maintenance and operations costs to 

present dollar values. So, it is 

important that transportation 

practitioners use a consistent 

approach and service life values 

when comparing and prioritizing 

potential projects. The guide walks 

through several safety project 

examples for selecting and applying 

the service life in a BCA. The 

examples include practical 

applications of service life in the 

BCA process for:

• Commercial motor vehicleinvolved fatal work zone crashes

• A new single countermeasure 

with an unknown service life 

• A countermeasure deployment 

using a systemic approach within 

a project 

Practitioners can use the guide to 

develop a service life list, which is 

similar to a CMF list. A service life 

list offers several benefits, such as 

creating standardized values that 

improve how an agency consistently 

applies BCA on proposed projects. 

Practitioners like Kevin Scopoline, 

traffic operations and analysis 

engineer with WisDOT, shared, 

“Wisconsin DOT plans on 

incorporating this guide into our 

safety analysis process to help 

compare alternatives as part of the 

benefit-cost analysis.” 

A State-specific service life list will 

help staff communicate more clearly 

to decision makers the reasons for 

selecting a particular 

countermeasure as well as promote 

consistent BCA throughout an 

agency. While the guide provides 

typical service life values for 

common countermeasures, it also 

describes factors that can impact 

service life. 

Availability 

The Countermeasure Service Life 

Guide is available online.

For more information contact Karen 

Scurry at Karen.Scurry@dot.gov or 

202.897.7168. 

New Resources on Vision 

Zero 

By Chimai Ngo, FHWA Office of Safety

Are you planning to work with other 

agencies within your State to further

efforts to reach the shared goal of 

zero deaths? Or are you considering 

developing a Vision Zero action plan 

as a roadmap to your Vision Zero 

implementation? If you are, FHWA 

recently published two reports that 

document efforts to collaborate with 

several State and local partners to 

do just that. The agency offers these 

reports to Tribal, State, regional, and 

local transportation partners with 

recent information so you can build 

on the efforts of others.

Strategies to Coordinate Zero 

Deaths Efforts for State and Local 

Agencies provides examples from 

communities, metropolitan planning 

organizations, and State DOTs that 

have built and fostered relationships 

through strategies that work toward 

Countermeasure 

Category

Service 

Life (years)

Access Management 20

Advanced 

Technology and 

Intelligent 

Transportation 

Systems (ITS)

10

Alignment 20

Bicycle 1–25

Delineation 1–5

Highway Lighting 15

Interchange Design 20

Intersection 

Geometry 

1–20

Intersection Traffic 

Control

1–15

Pedestrian 1–30

Railroad Grade 

Crossings

1–25

Resurfacing 5–10

Roadside 10–25

Roadway 1–20

Shoulder Treatment 5–20

Signs 5–20

Structures 10–30

Work Zone 1

Other 10–30

Typical service lives organized by 

category. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 20 –

a Safe System Approach and reach 

the zero deaths goal. In 2019, 

FHWA worked with stakeholders 

from Texas, Florida, and Colorado. 

In each State, FHWA hosted an inperson workshop and a webinar.

Workshop and webinar participants 

shared activities that exemplify 

coordination and collaboration, and 

discussed advancing a Safe System 

Approach as critical to reach the 

zero deaths goal. Participants 

highlighted ways to move toward 

that goal, including managing speed 

for safety, strengthening safety 

culture, and leveraging data and 

community input to prioritize safety. 

The report also includes notable 

strategies that other State, regional, 

and local agencies have 

implemented in their efforts to reach 

their shared safety goal.

The Lessons Learned from 

Development of Vision Zero Action 

Plans report summarizes the Vision 

Zero action plan development 

processes of two communities: Dale 

City, California, and Macon-Bibb 

County, Georgia. The report draws 

from the experiences of both 

communities and summarizes the 

common themes adapted in both 

processes. One common theme is 

the inclusion and application of the 

Safe System Approach to the extent 

possible. The report also offers 

information on challenges the 

communities faced and opportunities 

taken. In addition, the report not only 

describes lessons learned but also 

anticipates chances to take 

advantage of future opportunities 

moving forward. 

For more information, contact 

chimai.ngo@dot.gov or visit 

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/zerodeath

s/resources.cfm. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Logo for the Office of 

Safety!

Notice something new and a little 

different? The Office of Safety is 

excited to launch a new logo and 

tagline: “Zero is our goal, a safe 

system is how we get there.” 

Our new branded look emphasizes 

our vision of zero deaths through 

implementation of the Safe System 

Approach. The logo features an 

arrow, depicting a road that visually 

represents the downward statistical 

trend of highway fatalities we are all 

working towards.

Announcing the New 

Intersection Safety Web 

Pages!

By Jeffrey B. Shaw, P.E., FHWA Office of 

Safety

As part of the overall agency effort to 

update and streamline web pages, 

the Intersection Safety program has 

undergone a complete overhaul. The 

new Intersection Safety web pages

are structured to make the mostvisited content easier to find. The 

new content strategy also reduces 

redundancies with other safety 

program pages. 

The updated structure starts with the 

Intersection Safety home page. 

From there, a visitor can choose 

from the following subcategory 

pages: About Intersection Safety, 

Intersection Control Evaluation, Safe 

System Intersections, StopControlled Intersections, Corridor 

Cover of Strategies to Coordinate 

Zero Deaths Efforts for State and 

Local Agencies. (Source: FHWA)

New FHWA Office of Safety 

logo. (Source: FHWA)

Cover of Lessons Learned from 

Development of Vision Zero Action 

Plans. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 21 –

Access Management, Roundabouts, 

Crossover Intersections, Reduced 

Left-Turn Conflict Intersections, 

Signalized Intersections, and Other 

Intersection Designs.

The Intersection Safety team is 

excited about these changes! We 

hope this refresh makes for more 

informative and productive visits to 

our web pages!

For more information, contact Jeff 

Shaw at jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov. 

New Resource on Systemic 

Safety Analysis!

NCHRP recently published a Guide 

for Quantitative Approaches to 

Systemic Safety Analysis (Research 

Report 955). This document is 

intended to help safety engineers 

and managers better understand 

systemic safety management 

concepts to apply them in practice, 

as well as to help them better 

explain systemic safety 

management-based decisions to 

stakeholders. Specifically, the guide: 

• Defines and distinguishes the 

differences between the three 

primary safety management 

approaches that highway 

agencies use for programming 

safety improvements

• Provides detailed information on 

existing methods and tools to 

conduct quantitative approaches 

to systemic safety analysis

• Specifies and defines 

appropriate applications for 

conducting quantitative 

approaches to systemic safety 

and provides guidance on which 

available software tools would 

be most appropriate for the 

applications.

• Presents data needs to 

successfully implement 

quantitative approaches to 

systemic safety analysis and the 

data needs of the software tools 

available for conducting 

systemic safety analysis.

• Presents current best practices 

of agencies implementing 

quantitative approaches to 

systemic safety analysis and 

their lessons learned.

• Presents available resources 

that agencies may find useful 

when implementing systemic 

safety analyses.

For more information and to 

download the report, go to 

http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/18158

9.aspx. 

Upcoming Conferences and

Events

National Association of Counties

(NACo) Annual Conference and 

Exposition. Location pending. July 

9–12, 2021.

The NACo annual conference is a 

meeting of county-elected and 

appointed officials from across the 

country coming together to shape 

NACo's Federal policy agenda, 

Home page of the new intersection safety web page. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Summer 2021: Volume 15 Issue 2

– 22 –

share proven practices, and 

strengthen knowledge networks.

National Rural ITS Conference + 

Exhibit. Virtual. July 18–20, 2021. 

Transportation professionals 

engaged in our transportation 

system will find tools and networking 

opportunities.

ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibition.

Virtual. July and August 2021. 

The ITE Annual Meeting will be a 

virtual event in 2021. The technical 

program will run July 20–29 and the 

council and committee meetings will 

be held August 3–4. 

American Public Works Association 

(APWX) Public Works Expo (PWX).

St. Louis, Missouri. August 29–

September 1, 2021.

The annual PWX multimodal 

learning experience is designed for 

professionals involved in public 

works. 

Governors Highway Safety 

Association (GHSA) Annual Meeting.

Denver, Colorado. September 11–

15, 2021.

This year the theme is “Moving 

Mountains: Forging a New Traffic 

Safety Landscape.” 

ITS America 2021 Annual Meeting. 

Charlotte, North Carolina.

December 7–10, 2021.

The event brings together intelligent 

transportation community 

stakeholders from across the 

country. The meeting date has been 

moved to later in the year to remain 

an in-person event. 

The Safety Compass Newsletter is a publication of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

FHWA publishes the Safety Compass Newsletter 3 times a year. We can be reached at:

FHWA Office of Safety

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

Room E71-320

Washington, DC 20590

The Safety Compass Newsletter is available online at the FHWA Office of Safety website at: 

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/newsletter/safetycompass/. 

We welcome your comments and highway safety-related articles. The purpose of this newsletter is to increase highway safety awareness and 

information and to provide resources to help save lives.

We encourage readers to submit highway safety articles that might be of value to the highway safety community. Send your comments, 

questions, and articles for review electronically to Tara McLoughlin at tara.mcloughlin@dot.gov.