National Roadway Safety Awards

Noteworthy Practices Guide

2013
i 2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide

Letter from the Administrator

Letter from the Administrator

It is an honor to formally recognize the extraordinary achievements of those selected for the 

2013 National Roadway Safety Awards. The individuals, groups, and agencies participating in 

this program have shown a strong commitment to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on the 

Nation’s roadways. This guidebook showcases each of the 2013 National Roadway Safety

Award winners.

This year’s honorees have implemented groundbreaking techniques to significantly reduce 

crashes on our Nation’s roadways. We carefully evaluated each entry for innovation, 

effectiveness, and efficient use of available resources. Through infrastructure and operational 

improvements, State and local entities have enhanced intersection safety, decreased roadway 

departures, and used low-cost solutions to improve rural safety. Award winners also used 

lifesaving techniques in the categories of program planning, development, and evaluation. 

For more than a decade, the Federal Highway Administration and the Roadway Safety 

Foundation have partnered to sponsor this national awards program. Our ongoing partnership 

will continue to create innovative and life-saving measures and make our Nation’s roadways 

safer. This program provides the opportunity to recognize and share innovative practices in 

roadway safety.

Congratulations to all of the 2013 National Roadway Safety Awards winners.

Sincerely,

Office of the Administrator 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590
2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide ii

Table of Contents

Award Winners for Infrastructure Improvements

Tennessee: The J-Turn Experiment 1

Kentucky: High Friction Surfacing Treatment (HFST) Crash Reduction Program 2

Alabama: Raised Pavement Markers – A Low-Cost Alternative for

Run-off-the-Road Crashes 3

Award Winners for Operational Improvements

New York: Inexpensive Nighttime Inspection Kits to Improve Rural Sign Safety 4

Connecticut: Rotary Conversion to Roundabout, Route 80 at Route 81 5

Idaho: Winter Performance Measure System 6

Award Winners for Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation

Washington: Automated Infrared Camera System 7

Idaho: Highway Safety Corridor Analysis Project 8

New Jersey: Road Safety Audits – Engineering Guidance for Fatality Reduction 9

Louisiana: South Central Regional Transportation Safety Plan 10

Michigan: usRAP Safety Improvement Plan for County Roads in Genesee County 11

Honorable Mention

The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program 12
1 2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide

Agency: Tennessee Department of Transportation

Contact: Brian Hurst

Telephone: 615-517-5384

Email: brian.hurst@tn.gov

Infrastructure Improvements Category 

Winner

Tennessee: The J-Turn Experiment

Intersection-related crashes account for approximately 

15 percent of Tennessee’s roadway fatalities. Improving 

intersection safety has become a major focus of 

roadway safety programs in the State– one of the eight 

emphasis areas addressed in the Tennessee Strategic 

Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) and in the development of 

the Tennessee Intersection Safety Action Plan in 2007. 

As a result, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has implemented more of the intersection safety 

projects through the Highway Safety Improvement Program. Tennessee’s Intersection Safety Action Plan includes 

systemic improvements (such as advanced warning signs and striping) at both signalized and non-signalized 

intersections that have resulted in reduced fatalities and serious injuries. 

As part of its safety efforts, TDOT began experimenting with the use of J-Turn Intersections in 2007. A J-Turn is 

an alternative intersection design and a corridor management method used at intersections to restrict access. 

The configuration prevents direct crossing and left turns from the side roads, reducing the number of intersection 

conflict points from 42 to 24 and right angle conflict points from 24 to 4.

Working with regional traffic engineers, TDOT selected four intersections with numerous sideswipe crashes to 

implement J-Turn improvements. For the 2 years prior to implementation of the J-Turn treatments, there were a 

total of 54 crashes at these locations with 2 fatalities and 8 incapacitating injuries. Because the installations were 

staggered, post-installation results vary from site to site, but for all sites treated to date, there have been only 10 

crashes with no fatalities and no incapacitating injuries.

Restricting the direct crossing movement reduces the number

of conflict points and severity of crashes.

An off-set left turn lane provides additional site distance and

decreases the number of sideswipe-type crashes.

The Safety

Concern

High rates of statewide intersection-related 

crashes.

The 

Solutio

Systematic application of J-Turn Intersections 

to restrict access and minimize points of 

conflict.

The Result Reductions in the number of crashe

injuries, and fatalities at treated intersections.
2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide 2

Kentucky’s rural, often mountainous terrain can present a 

challenge to many drivers, and the Kentucky Transportation 

Cabinet (KYTC) recognized that it needed to apply improved 

safety treatments on horizontal curves throughout the 

State to reduce the number of roadway departure crashes 

experienced statewide. As a result, KYTC reviewed a variety 

of low-cost safety options for reducing roadway departure 

crashes in both wet and dry weather conditions. After thorough consideration, the KYTC conducted an initial 

pilot program with a high friction surfacing treatment (HFST), a compound comprising a two-part, highly modified 

epoxy resin binder and a specially graded, high-friction bauxite aggregate. 

Under this pilot program, Interstate Road Management, 

Inc. applied the HFST at 26 locations statewide. After 

implementation, KYTC measured the friction numbers and 

found that they had increased dramatically. With the increase 

in friction came a reduction in skid-related roadway departure 

crashes and fatalities on treated roadways, a nearly 69 

percent decrease. 

As a result, KYTC launched a three-year statewide HFST 

program at over 75 locations in 2010 to improve pavement 

friction and reduce roadway departure crashes on horizontal 

curves. HFST was applied at specific sites where skidding 

crashes resulted in fatalities, serious injuries, and property 

damage. Each site was linked to crash data collected and 

plotted by KYTC to ensure appropriate placement of the HFST 

installation.

A simple before/after comparison shows that when compared with previous 3-year crash data, wet-weather 

roadway departure crashes dropped from 357 to 33 at sites where HFST has been applied. Similarly, dry-weather 

roadway departure crashes have also seen a sharp decline, from 126 to 28.

Infrastructure Improvements Category 

Winner

Kentucky: High Friction Surfacing Treatment (HFST) Crash Reduction Program

Agency: Interstate Road Management, Inc. (An operating division of DBI Services.)

Contact: Richard John Baker

Telephone: 804-213-0335

Email: rbaker@dbiservices.com

Agency: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Traffic Operations

Contact: Tracy Allen Lovell, PE

Telephone: 502-782-5534

Email: tracy.lovell@ky.gov

DBI’s (IRM) Road Management Unit utilizes the industry’s only 

fully automated HFST application vehicles, which can apply HFST 

continuously at full lane width.

The Safety

Concer

High rates of roadway departure 

crashes on rural roads.

The 

Solutio

High friction surfacing treatment on 

selected horizontal curves.

The Result Measured reductions in the number 

roadway departure crashes.
3 2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide

With help from the FHWA and Alabama Department of 

Transportation (ALDOT), Mobile County, Alabama determined that 

10 rural roadways within the county rated the highest in the State 

for run-off-the-road crashes. These roadways, totaling more than 

68 miles, had experienced 224 run-off-the-road type crashes 

between 2005–2008, resulting in 7 fatalities and 152 injuries.

The challenge was to determine the most effective low-cost 

treatment. While rumble strips can reduce run-off-the-road 

crashes, installing them requires large machinery, manpower with 

technical skills, and oftentimes additional right of way, making them a cost-prohibitive solution. 

To counter these cost concerns, Mobile County and ALDOT implemented a program for the systematic application 

of raised pavement markers (RPM) to improve sight distance recognition and guidance along the edge of the 

pavement, especially during wet weather conditions at night. One-directional, white RPMs adjacent to the white 

edge-line stripe were easily installed using existing traffic maintenance department equipment and manpower.

The program set guidelines for consistent implementation for all roadways within the county. RPMs were placed just 

outside the existing edge-line stripe. Tangent sections of roadways would have RPMs installed at 80 feet spacing. 

At the approach to a curve having an advance warning curve sign, the spacing would be 40 feet apart from sign 

location to the beginning of the curve. In the curve, the spacing would be 20 feet until reaching the tangent section.

Based on 2009–2012 crash data, crashes on the initial 10 roadways treated dropped from 224 to 33, from 7 

fatalities to 0, and from 152 injuries to 10. The average number of crashes for all 10 roadways decreased by 85.3 

percent. RPMs give critical guidance to drivers, especially along dark and rainy county roadways. As a result of this 

pilot project, they are now included in most roadway projects in Alabama. 

Agency: Mobile County Engineer Office

Contact: James Foster

Telephone: 251-574-8595

Email: jfoster@mobilecounty.net

Infrastructure Improvements Category 

Winner

Alabama: Raised Pavement Markers – A Low-Cost

Alternative for Run-off-the-Road Crashes

Example of 20 feet RPM spacing for a curve.

Raised Pavement 

Markers

The Safety

Concer

High levels of run-off-the-road 

crashes on specific rural roadways.

The 

Solutio

The systematic application of raised 

pavement markers.

The Result Measured crash reduction

and an associated reduction in 

injuries and fatalities – on treated 

segments.

Raised Pavement 

Markers

Example of same location at night.
2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide 4

In the summer of 2011, the Cornell University Local 

Roads Program (CLRP) initiated a project with three 

County Highway Departments in western New York 

to create a sharing agreement so that each agency 

had access to a retroreflectometer for inspecting local 

signing in support of the new Manual on Uniform Traffic 

Control Devices (MUTCD) sign retroreflectivity standards. 

This sharing program included all three counties as 

well as local jurisdictions in the respective counties (i.e., 

towns, villages, and one city). 

In addition to the retroreflectometer sharing agreement, CLRP developed a total of 50 inexpensive sign 

inspection kits, costing less than $50 each. The kits use clear “overhead projector” sheets in layers to degrade 

the retroreflectivity of small comparison panels of different colors to a conservative level above the minimum 

retroreflective levels identified in Table 2A-3 of the MUTCD. The clear overhead sheets are the same ones used 

with overhead projectors and are available at office supply stores.

The inspection kits allow local highway agencies to quickly and accurately perform nighttime inspections, 

virtually eliminating “guessing” about the quality of a particular sign. For example, prior to receiving the kits, sign 

technicians in Wyoming County, New York would err on the side of caution and replace many signs that were 

actually adequate. With the kits, they replaced 20 percent fewer signs than they had replaced previously due to 

concerns about retroreflectivity. In addition, they saved a day of overtime, inspecting all the county’s signs in only 3 

nights. Savings from the reduction of 2 full shifts of overtime work and approximately 30 signs amounts to $3,000 

each year.

Operational Improvements Category 

Winner

New York: Inexpensive Nighttime Inspection

Kits to Improve Rural Sign Safety 

Agency: Cornell Local Roads Program

Contact: David P. Orr, Ph.D.

Telephone: 607-255-8033

Email: david.orr@cornell.edu

The Safety

Concer

Not enough equipment to inspect the 

retroreflectivity of all signing in the region.

The 

Solutio

An inexpensive sign inspection kit and a 

sharing agreement for costly inspection 

equipment.

The Result Reductions in overtime costs for nightti

inspections, reductions in the number of signs 

that need to be replaced annually, and an 

easily compiled, inexpensive ($50) portable 

field kit that is available at all times.

Attaching inspection panel to target sign. Viewing sign with inspection panel attached

(done at night during actual use).
5 2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide

Agency: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Contact: William Britnell

Telephone: 860-594-3274 

Email: william.britnell@ct.gov

Operational Improvements Category 

Winner

Connecticut: Rotary Conversion to Roundabout, Route 80 at Route 81

Encouraged by an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 

study on the extensive safety benefits of converting signalized 

and all-way stop-controlled intersections to modern 

roundabouts, the Connecticut Department of Transportation 

(ConnDOT) decided to convert some of its old traffic circles to 

roundabouts. ConnDOT reviewed several sites and selected 

three pilot locations based on crash history, volumes, 

constructability, and the potential for improvement. 

ConnDOT chose the intersection of Routes 80 and 81 in the 

town of Killingworth as its first location. The most obvious 

deficiency at this intersection was the lack of deflection on 

the entrances. As with most rotaries, this one was originally 

configured to give the right of way to the entering traffic, with 

traffic in the circle having to yield to incoming vehicles. The 

entrances had little if any deflection, which allowed for high entry 

speeds and increased the potential for a serious collision. 

To slow traffic on the approaches, ConnDOT created some 

deflection and added a truck apron around the central island. 

The overall dimensions of the intersection were not altered, 

but the east leg was realigned slightly to improve the angle of 

the intersection. In addition, ConnDOT installed raised splitter 

islands and raised truck “blisters” (raised truck aprons placed 

on the outside of the roundabout) on two of the four quadrants. 

ConnDOT removed some of the existing pavement to create a 

more circular intersection shape, which helped with deflection 

and slowed traffic. 

Speeds are now within the range of 15-20 MPH for all 

movements, eliminating the significant speed differentials that 

existed previously. Comparing the latest available 3-year period 

(2009–2011) crash history to the 2005–2007 data, the total 

number of crashes was reduced from 20 to 10 (50% reduction), 

the number of injury crashes was reduced from 6 to 1 (83% 

reduction), and the number of injuries was reduced from 7 to 1 

(86% reduction).

Before: Rotary prior to conversion. Note lack of deflection from entrance 

on far side of the photo.

After: Close-up of truck apron constructed during conversion to roundabout, 

along with a raised truck “blister” on the outside of the roundabout.

The Safety

Concer

Geometry of existing rotary allowed 

higher speeds and conflicts between 

entering and circulating traffic and could 

not support vehicles with a larger turning 

radius.

The 

Solutio

Converting the existing rotary facility to a 

modern roundabout.

The Result Measurable reductions in crashe

injuries, and fatalities.
2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide 6

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has spent 

many years developing a progressive winter maintenance 

program that invests in a number of areas such as 

labor, training, equipment, and materials. Until recently, 

however, the ITD had difficulty assessing how well its 

winter maintenance budget was being allocated and 

how its winter maintenance activities were affecting 

mobility and safety on Idaho’s highways. In response, ITD 

worked with Vaisala, a global leader in environmental and 

industrial measurement, to develop a Winter Performance 

Measure (WPM) system.

This first-of-its-kind system consists of three indices that provide a quantifiable method of determining the 

effectiveness of winter maintenance activities. The WPM system polls Idaho’s road weather information system 

(RWIS) stations every 15 minutes and uses the data to plot and track trends in ice and snow accumulation or 

removal, air and pavement temperature changes, and surface friction (grip).1 The WPM’s algorithms calculate 

storm severity based on precipitation amounts, wind velocity, and surface temperature. Based on the WPM’s 

storm severity assessment, ITD’s maintenance crews can make decisions about road-treatment options, 

application rates, and treatment timing as well as help them identify the locations where treatment is most needed.

Providing RWIS data in real-time removes the need for 

most subjective assessments and promotes decisions that 

are consistent and measurable. After storms have passed, 

ITD uses the winter-performance index (normalized by 

storm severity) and the winter mobility index to measure 

the effectiveness of its treatments and the impact of those 

treatments on driver safety and mobility. 

ITD has made major improvements to winter safety and 

mobility by reducing ice duration on Idaho highways by 

approximately 75 percent. The WPM system has helped ITD 

reduce roadway departures that occur specifically because 

of icy road conditions—a leading cause of highway fatalities 

in Idaho—by more than 40 percent in southeast Idaho, 

where WPM was first implemented.

Operational Improvements Category 

Winner

Idaho: Winter Performance Measure System 

Agency: Idaho Transportation Department

Contact: Robert Koeberlein

Telephone: 208-334-8487 

Email: robert.koeberlein@itd.idaho.gov

Snow plows at summit on I-90 in District 1.

The Safety

Concer

Limited ability to measure the effectiveness 

of winter weather treatments and their 

impact on driver safety and mobility.

The 

Solutio

A new performance measurement system 

that provides a fact-based situational 

assessment to support optimal decision 

making.

The Result A measurable reduction in ice duration 

highways and winter slide-offs—a leading 

cause of highway fatalities in the region 

where the WPM is used.

1 Using a safe driving friction coefficient benchmark of 0.60.
7 2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the 

Washington State Department of Transportation 

(WSDOT) felt something new was needed to help 

decrease the number of fatal and injury accidents 

involving commercial vehicles on Washington State 

roadways. While there is no single remedy, WSDOT 

and WSP targeted vehicle brake failure as a significant 

contributing factor that needed to be addressed. 

Together, the agencies created a project team that 

enhanced a commercial off-the-shelf technology to 

create an automated brake inspection tool: the Automated Infrared Camera System (AIRS). The system is designed 

to inspect each commercial vehicle’s brake system as it enters an AIRS-equipped weigh station. It performs its 

inspection at ordinary travel speeds, without interfering with the vehicle and without the operator’s awareness. 

AIRS uses a single Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) thermal imaging camera with a wide-angle lens buried in 

the center of the roadway to view each vehicle’s undercarriage and identify its brakes. Using advanced automation 

and analysis software, AIRS carries out its complex analysis in milliseconds. A color camera mounted on the 

roadside and integrated into the AIRS system provides a vivid color image with each vehicle record to support 

visual identification. 

The core AIRS development team used several innovative 

approaches to complete the project, including a “virtual 

project team” method to access vendor expert knowledge 

and insight at no additional cost. The team also borrowed 

equipment from manufacturers to demonstrate its capabilities. 

Once the equipment was proven effective and showed that 

it met the needs of the program, it was purchased. The team 

also gathered information about user needs from on-site 

weigh station enforcement officers. For example, users who 

had experience with infrared systems found it challenging to 

watch and analyze the indistinct images, and it took a great 

deal of time to learn what to look for. In response, the team 

designed AIRS with a simple, straightforward view screen on 

which potential faults are shaded in red and easily identified. 

Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation Category 

Winner

Washington: Automated Infrared Camera System

Agency: Washington State Patrol

Contact: William Balcom

Telephone: 360-596-3807

Email: william.balcom@wsp.wa.gov

Agency: Washington State Department of Transportation

Contact: Bill Legg

Telephone: 360-705-7994

Email: leggb@wsdot.wa.gov

View of camera when placed in roadway. This unorthodox location exposes 

a perfect view of each brake as the vehicle passes over the camera.

The Safety

Concer

A high number of fatal and injury accidents 

involving commercial vehicles on Washington 

State roadways.

The 

Solutio

Modified commercial off-the-shelf technology 

with sophisticated automation and analysis 

software capable of identifying commercial 

vehicle brakes and carrying out a complex 

safety analysis in milliseconds.

The Result Significant numbers of citable violations we

accurately identified, as validated by tests.
2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide 8

In an effort to improve its cost effectiveness in funding 

safety projects, the Idaho Transportation Department 

(ITD) undertook an innovative, data-driven program for 

safety analysis on roadways throughout the State—an 

effort encompassing 5,000 miles of roadway across six 

districts. Building on a pilot effort to examine rural road 

safety, this program applied a new evaluation method 

and helped identify the highest priority locations for 

safety improvements. 

This project comprised four parts: 1) assessing 5 years of statewide crash records to determine potential priority 

locations for safety improvements; 2) diagnosing the priority locations to determine causal relationships between 

a site’s physical characteristics and crash records; 3) identifying recommended safety improvements for each 

location’s diagnosis to generate the greatest reduction in fatality and crash rates; and 4) conducting a benefitcost analysis to rank the recommended safety improvements and determine how best to invest a limited amount 

of funding. To maximize the benefit from a limited pool of funding, ITD ranked each safety improvement project 

on the expected benefit in fatality and crash 

reductions offset by an annualized cost of the 

project. Based on historical data, ITD determined 

the expected benefit by applying an average 

cost to each level of crash severity combined 

with the expected reduction in fatality and crash 

rates associated with a given safety improvement 

project. The recently developed Highway Safety 

Manual provided the basic methodology for 

estimating the potential annual reductions in the 

number and severity of crashes for segments and 

for intersections on the State highway system 

where higher-than-average crash rates have been 

reported. The expected reduction is based on 

the improvement as well as the existing roadway 

characteristics and crash history. The resulting list 

of ranked safety improvement projects provides 

ITD with a recommendation for how best to 

distribute funding for projects. 

Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation Category 

Winner

Idaho: Highway Safety Corridor Analysis Project 

Agency: Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety

Contact: Brent Jennings

Telephone: 208-334-8557

Email: brent.jennings@itd.idaho.gov

Priority corridor identified by the data.

The Safety

Concer

Maximizing the impact of safety investments 

to get the most “bang for the buck.” 

The 

Solutio

Reevaluating the way safety projects are 

assessed and ranked to improve both cost 

effectiveness and overall safety results.

The Result A list of ranked safety improvement projec

reflecting the most effective use of funding 

for safety projects.
9 2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide

New Jersey’s Road Safety Audit (RSA) program uses 

coordination and collaboration to address traffic 

deaths and serious injuries at local and regional highcrash locations. Working with three of the State’s 

metropolitan planning organizations (MPO)—North 

Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), 

the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission 

(DVRPC), and the South Jersey Transportation 

Planning Organization (SJTPO)—as well as county 

and local agencies, engineers at Rutgers’ Center for 

Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) 

Transportation Safety Resource Center (TSRC) conducted focused screenings to identify regional high-crash 

locations. These screenings form the basis for communication with road owners of these highly ranked crash 

sites. The road owners provide “local knowledge” that, combined with the engineering guidance available from 

TSRC, yields a proactive approach based on perceived risk as opposed to crash history alone. The program 

aims to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries by performing RSAs with multidisciplinary teams who make 

recommendations for short- and long-term countermeasures that can significantly improve safety.

For these selected sites, CAIT engineers use Plan4Safety to conduct a crash analysis. Plan4Safety is a webbased, comprehensive crash analysis and decision support software application. It compiles every single 

crash record in the State from the past decade and allows users to filter through over 1 million crash records in 

seconds—rather than weeks—based on user-defined parameters.

Using Plan4Safety, CAIT analysts run crash data 

for selected roadways and identify causal factors 

that provide engineering guidance to direct the 

focus of the site visit. For example, if engineers 

find that a roadway experiences many nighttime 

crashes, the field review teams may pay particular 

attention to lighting or sign retroreflectivity during 

the site visit and focus on opportunities to support 

engineering solutions for that particular concern.

To date, CAIT has conducted 11 RSAs in New 

Jersey, including in urban areas where all road 

users can be affected by safety issues.

Agency: Rutgers’ Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT)

Contact: Carissa Sestito

Telephone: 848-445-2884

Email: csestito@rutgers.edu 

Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation Category 

Winner

New Jersey: Road Safety Audits –

 Engineering Guidance for Fatality Reduction

CAIT’s RSA team examines sign visibility on a county road in southern New Jersey.

The Safety

Concer

Not enough attention to local and regional 

high-crash locations.

The 

Solutio

A proactive approach to working with local 

road owners and stakeholders to understand 

perceived risk, conduct crash data analysis, 

and provide engineering support to remediate 

high-crash locations.

The Result An increased focus on intersection a

pedestrian safety resulting in tailored solutions 

to each problem area.
2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide 10

The South Central Regional Transportation Safety Plan 

(SCRTSP) is the first regional, data-driven action plan 

developed in Louisiana as part of the State’s efforts to 

implement its Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). It 

is a living document that adopts and disseminates the 

SHSP “Destination Zero Deaths” goals and strategies 

down to the regional and local levels.

The SCRTSP is the product of the South Central Safe Community Partnership (SCSCP), a 13-year partnership 

among Federal, State and local agencies from six parishes in the region—including the South Central Planning & 

Development Commission (SCPDC), the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD), 

and the Houma-Thibodaux Metropolitan Planning Organization (HTMPO). With ongoing support from these 

stakeholders, the SCRTSP uses action plans to undertake regional and local projects addressing four emphasis 

areas—occupant protection, alcohol-related driving, crashes involving young drivers, and infrastructure. The 

strategic process involves stakeholders at every level of government and includes appropriate representation for 

addressing the 4 E’s of safety—engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency response. Implementation is 

ongoing; emphasis area teams meet regularly to develop, implement, and monitor SHSP strategies.

As a result of the SCRTSP, stakeholders have greater guidance for implementing data-driven and low-cost safety 

engineering projects to reduce crashes. Innovative SCRTSP programs include using Road Safety Assessments, 

Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) Mobile Units at saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints, expanding teen driver 

education efforts (e.g., drunk, unbelted, and distracted driving), and 

conducting the biannual Regional Impaired Driving Workshop and 

Advanced Roadside Impairment Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Training 

for law enforcement officers. Safety grant funds from FHWA, the 

Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, and the Louisiana Department 

of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) pay for these programs. 

Volunteer hours of service from partner agencies also are used. 

As of August 2013, 70 percent of the plan has been implemented. With 

the assistance of Louisiana State University, LADOTD, and contractor 

partners, the coalition has determined that there has been a decline 

in the South Central Region’s 3-year-average of fatalities and serious 

injuries where lack of seatbelt use or driving under the influence of 

alcohol are causal factors. SCRTSP’s combined 4E approach is slowly 

paying off; ongoing implementation will help the region achieve its goal 

of a 50 percent fatality reduction by 2030.

Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation Category 

Winner

Louisiana: South Central Regional Transportation Safety Plan 

Agency: South Central Planning and Development Commission

Contact: Kevin Belanger

Telephone: 985-851-2900

Email: kevin@scpdc.org

SCRTSP Cover.

The Safety

Concer

Need to reduce fatalities and injuries related to 

alcohol-related driving, occupant protection, 

young drivers, and infrastructure and operations. 

The 

Solutio

A partnership that uses a data-driven action 

plan to identify regional and local projects that 

will address four safety emphasis areas.

The Result Measured reductions in alcohol-related serio

injuries as well as in serious injuries resulting 

from lack of seatbelt use.
11 2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide

In 2012, the Genesee County Road Commission 

(GCRC) in Flint, Michigan, signed an agreement for 

a U.S. Road Assessment Program (usRAP) Safety 

Improvement evaluation of the county road system. 

Initiated in 2004 as a pilot by the AAA Foundation, 

the usRAP program was designed to assess and 

benchmark the relative safety of roads using historical 

crash data and roadway inventory data. The program 

includes a Road Protection Score (RPS), which can 

identify road segments with higher crash potential 

through analyses of road inventory data relative to 

design features that are strongly correlated with the risk of serious crashes. Most importantly, the RPS produces 

a “safety investment plan” that provides cost-effective road safety improvement options for road authorities to 

consider in order to lower the risks identified.

GCRC developed the safety improvement plan based on a comprehensive review of the existing physical 

infrastructure of the county road system. Project staff obtained and assembled data on over 40 existing safetyrelated infrastructure elements for more than 8,600 300-ft roadway segments. The project database was 

uploaded to the usRAP Tools software and processed to develop a safety improvement plan. 

The software evaluated nearly 70 crash countermeasures 

for each 300-ft roadway segment, identified those 

countermeasures that made engineering sense for the location, 

and then selected the most cost-effective countermeasures 

for inclusion in the plan. Elements of the plan include shoulder 

paving, pedestrian crossings, sidewalk provision, delineation 

improvements, lane widening, intersection signalization, left-turn 

lane provision, roadside barriers, road surface improvements, 

and rail crossing upgrades.

The development of the plan was completed in early 2013 and is 

now proceeding to the programming and implementation stage.

Agency: Genesee County Road Commission

Contact: John H. Daly III, Ph.D.

Telephone: 810-767-4920

Email: jdaly@gcrc.org

Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation Category 

Winner

Michigan: usRAP Safety Improvement Plan for

 County Roads in Genesee County

Fenton Road at Baldwin Road.

The Safety

Concer

Road safety data alone may not adequately 

support comprehensive analyses of road 

safety; physical infrastructure elements may 

also play a role at high-crash locations.

The 

Solutio

Assessing and benchmarking the relative 

safety of roads using historical crash data and 

roadway inventory data.

The Result The plan was completed in early 2013 a

is now proceeding to the programming and 

implementation stage.
2013 NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS • Noteworthy Practices Guide 12

Research has shown that when parents are actively engaged 

in the supervised driving process teens are 50 percent less 

likely to crash, 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated, 30 

percent less likely to drive distracted, and twice as likely to 

wear seatbelts.2 Despite the best intentions of State agencies 

and safety organizations, however, very few parents have a 

clear understanding of the teen driving laws and behind-thewheel best practices that will help their teens become safe, 

smart drivers. This is due, in part, to the general lack of readily 

available resources for parents of teen drivers. 

The Safe Roads Alliance worked with State department of motor vehicles (DMV) staff from around the country, 

highway safety researchers, academics, behavioral scientists, educators and parents and teens to develop the 

“best-practices” based Parent’s Supervised Driving Program (PSDP). PSDP reaches out to parents of teen drivers 

at a critical time in the teen learning process. Currently available in 13 States, PSDP is provided to DMVs at no cost 

in an effort to make the most of the supervised driving period that is generally required as part of graduated driver 

licensing (GDL). The program includes step-by-step instructions for parents on how and what to teach their teen 

during the supervised driving process, including practicing in a variety of conditions and focusing on “higher order” 

driving skills. The program not only strengthens the supervised driving period, but also pushes parents to extend 

their involvement beyond the requisite 30–70 hours of supervised driving time. The program now also includes a 

mobile app, RoadReady, that helps track and log the time and conditions of teen driving experiences.

Honorable Mention

 The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program

Agency: Safe Roads Alliance

Contact: Jeff Larson

Telephone: 617-429-9601

Email: jeff@saferoadsalliance.org

2 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and State Farm Insurance, Driving Through the Eyes of Teens: A Closer Look, February 

2012. Available at: http://teendriving.statefarm.com/research-stats/driving-through-the-eyes-of-teens-a-closer-look (accessed August 12, 2013)

Press event at Rhode Island DMV HQ for 2012 National Teen Safe Driving Week. Program books from Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, 

Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Safety

Concer

Parents want to play an effective role 

in teaching young drivers about best 

practices and driving laws, but do not 

always know how.

The 

Solutio

Instructions for parents on how and 

what to teach their teen during the 

supervised driving process, including 

practicing in a variety of conditions and 

focusing on “higher order” driving skills.

The Result Improved support and education for t

parents of student drivers.
US Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Washington DC 20590

202.366.2288

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov

www.roadwaysafety.org

Roadway Safety Foundation

1101 14th Street NW, Suite 750

Washington DC 20005

202.857.1228

http://www.roadwaysafety.org

Philip J. Caruso 

Deputy Executive Director for Technical Programs

Institute of Transportation Engineers, Inc.

Gregory M. Cohen, P.E.

Executive Director

Roadway Safety Foundation

William A. Crank

Senior Community Relations Manager 

Michelin North America, Inc. 

Anthony Giancola, P.E. 

Retired Executive Director, National Association

of County Engineers

The Roadway Safety Foundation

The Roadway Safety Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 

charitable and educational organization solely dedicated 

to reducing the frequency and severity of motor vehicle 

crashes by improving the safety of America’s roadways. 

To this end, the RSF focuses on improving the physical 

characteristics of roadways, such as design and 

engineering, operating conditions, removal of roadside 

hazards, and effective use of safety features.

Michael Griffith

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Federal Highway Administration

Tony Kane

Principal

Tony Kane and Associates, LLC

Richard F. Pain, Ph. D.

Transportation Safety Coordinator

Transportation Research Board

The 2013 Blue Ribbon Panel

We are especially grateful to the esteemed panel of Blue Ribbon Judges who have supported this program. Their contributions 

of expertise, time, talent and vision have been extremely important in ensuring the continued success of this program. 

The Federal Highway Administration

The FHWA Office of Safety’s mission is to significantly 

reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries by making 

our roads safer through a data-driven, systematic 

approach to putting safety first when applying 

engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency 

medical services. Focus areas include: Comprehensive 

Strategic Planning, Roadway Departure, Intersections, 

Pedestrians and Speed Management.

FHWA-SA-14-002