Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 1 

Message from FHWA Acting Associate 

Administrator for Safety Beth Alicandri

Celebrating a Decade of Progress with the 

Safety Compass 

Welcome to Volume 10 of the Safety Compass newsletter!

Ten years ago, then Associate Administrator for Safety Jeff 

Lindley introduced the first ever issue of the Safety 

Compass, inviting safety professionals, partners, and other 

stakeholders to share information on tools and success 

stories to help the safety community develop and implement 

effective highway safety programs and projects. 

You did, and we have. 

The past decade has seen numerous achievements in highway safety, and we 

as a community of safety professionals have made great strides toward 

realizing the goal of zero deaths on our Nation’s roadways. 

For example, back in 2005 there were a reported 9,188 intersection and 

intersection-related fatalities in the country, and an article in the first issue of 

the Safety Compass talked about how FHWA was analyzing non-traditional 

intersection designs to reduce that number. Four years later, and with the 

assistance of the FHWA safety program, 2009 saw the completion of the 

Nation’s first diverging diamond interchange in Springfield, MO—a milestone 

project that resulted in a 72 percent reduction in injury crashes and 46 percent 

reduction in all crashes in its first year of operation. As 2015 comes to a close, 

States will have opened at least 60 diverging diamond interchanges, with 

many more planned for the future. 

Looking back, there were a total of 43,443 fatal crashes in our country in 2005. 

The latest FARS data indicate there were 32,675 people killed in crashes on 

U.S. roadways in 2014 – a 25 percent decrease from 2005. This means that 

over the last decade, due in large part to our collective efforts, thousands of 

people got home safely. However, we firmly believe that even one death is 

one too many, and it will take all of us working together to continue to drive 

this number down.

I thank all of you for your contributions to the Safety Compass over the last 

decade. The articles you have written, the case studies you have featured,

and the research you have shared have made the newsletter a go-to source 

for the latest information on highway safety innovations. And I repeat the 

invitation: please continue to share information on your innovative programs 

and projects with your peers in safety through the Safety Compass. Working 

together, we will further build on our successes and will save even more lives 

on our Nation’s roadways.

A Publication of the Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1

In This Issue:

National Roadway Safety Awards: 

Honoring Programs and Solutions ...... 2

Road Right-Sizing – A Brief Look 

into Road Diet Usage in Austin, TX...... 4

New Report Summarizes Pedestrian, 

Bicyclist Road Safety Initiative.............5

“New and Improved” Roadway 

Safety Data Dashboard Now Live!.......6

NEW! Guidebook on Safety Data for 

Transportation Planners .......................6

FHWA Seeks Partners for Unpaved 

Road Safety Pooled Fund Study............ 7

FHWA/NHTSA Release New State 

Traffic Records Coordinating 

Committee Noteworthy Practices .........8

FHWA Peer Exchange: Embracing 

the Local Road Practitioner ..................9

New Guide for Safety Data 

Management under Development ...... 10

NEW! Companion Guide to the 

Handbook for Designing Roadways 

for the Aging Population ..................... 12

New Safety Analysis of Freeways 

and Interchanges Workshop............... 13

Minnesota “Mumble Strips” Show 

Promise – Analysis Underway ........... 14

Highlights from the 2014 HSIP 

National Summary Report.................. 15

Highway Safety Information System 

– VI: Template for the Future ............ 17

FHWA Releases 2015 Interactive 

Highway Safety Design Model ........... 18

Turning Data into Results – VDOT 

Adopts Data Visualization Tool ......... 19

Kentucky Most Recent State to Join 

Lifesaving “Yellow Dot” Program....... 21

Announcements and Events ................22

Get Safety Compass delivered 

straight to your inbox! 

Subscribe Today!
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 2 

NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY AWARDS:

HONORING PROGRAMS AND SOLUTIONS 

FOR IMPROVING ROADWAY SAFETY

By: Tara McLoughlin, FHWA Office of Safety, and 

Stephanie Sneary, Leidos

The 2015 National Roadway Safety Awards 

ceremony was held Monday, November 16 at the 

Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill to 

honor exemplary highway safety projects and 

programs from across the country. The biennial 

awards recognize excellence in engineering-based 

solutions to improve roadway safety and stresses the 

importance of strategic, data-driven approaches that 

can be replicated elsewhere. The awards were 

conferred in two categories: Infrastructure and 

Operational Improvements and Program Planning, 

Development, and Evaluation. 

“The roadway safety innovations that we recognize 

here today address key obstacles facing our country 

as we look to modernize our transportation 

infrastructure,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of 

Transportation Victor Mendez. “I commend all of 

today’s winners for their efforts to enhance safety 

and save lives on our nation’s roadways.”

Since 1998, FHWA and the Roadway Safety 

Foundation have partnered to sponsor this 

prestigious, national awards program. Every 2 years, 

this program honors the “best of the best” based on 

criteria including effectiveness, innovation, and 

efficient use of available resources. Brief summaries 

of each winning project follow with more detailed 

descriptions appearing in the National Roadway

Safety Awards 2015 Noteworthy Practices Guide, 

available 

at: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadwaysafetyawards/2

015/npg_2015.pdf 

Infrastructure and Operational 

Improvements Category

Arkansas: Improving Interstate Safety with 

Pavement Surface Treatments. Arkansas improved 

interstate safety with pavement surface treatments to 

reduce deaths and injuries in wet weather conditions. 

In 4 years, the improved pavement texture lowered 

wet-weather crashes from 70 to 5, a 93 percent 

reduction on a 4-mile segment of Arkansas’ 

Interstate 30.

Florida: Advanced Lighting Measurement 

System. Florida’s Advanced Lighting Measurement 

System has fundamentally changed how the State 

collects road lighting data by allowing data collection 

rates 300 times greater than traditional methods. The 

data helps the State identify areas of risk when 

comparing low light conditions to the number of 

crashes in a particular area. 

Diagram and vehicle placement for Florida's Advanced 

Lighting Measurement System 

Michigan: Statewide Non-Freeway Rumble Strip 

Initiative. Through this initiative, Michigan installed 

rumble strips on all non-freeway high-speed and 

rural roads from 2008-2010. This led to a 47 percent 

reduction in total target crashes (head-on, sideswipe 

opposite and run-off-the-road left) and a 51 percent 

reduction in fatal crashes when comparing 3 years of 

crash data following the installation to before the 

rumble strips were installed.

Texas: San Antonio TransGuide Wrong-Way 

Driver Project. San Antonio TransGuide, a 

partnership of Texas DOT, City of San Antonio, and 

VIA Metropolitan Transport, implemented illuminated 

warning signs and real-time alerts to law enforcement using radar-based sensors that detect the 

direction, speed, and location of wrong-way drivers. 

The 2015 Roadway Safety Award winning teams pose 

with Victor Mendez, Tony Furst, and Greg Cohen.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 3 

The project decreased the number of wrong-way 

events by 31 percent on the 15-mile segment of US 

281 with the highest occurrence for wrong-way 

crashes.

The LED-illuminated Wrong Way sign with radar is a 

standard wrong-way driver countermeasure on exit ramps 

in San Antonio.

Virginia: Road Diets in Reston. Virginia DOT 

implemented Road Diets on 2-mile segments of 

Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive. These sections 

of roadway each carry about 10,000 vehicles per day

and were prone to excessive speeding. After project 

completion, crashes decreased by 69 percent on 

Lawyers Road and 67 percent on Soapstone Drive. 

Program Planning, Development, and 

Evaluation Category

Montana: Road Departure Study and Safety 

Information Management System. Montana 

conducted a road departure study to analyze factors 

contributing to the State’s 70 percent rate of fatal 

crashes due to lane departure. The State then used 

its Safety Information Management System software 

to screen its rural on-system roadway network for 

specific areas of concern, develop solutions to 

address these areas, and enhance data access 

through easy querying capabilities and storage of 

roadway characteristics needed for performance 

analysis. 

Washington: 2014 County Safety 

Program. Washington’s program requires counties 

to develop data-driven local road safety plans before 

applying for Highway Safety Improvement Program

funding. Washington State DOT provided counties 

with training and a summary of data that prioritized 

crash types, roadway characteristics, and conditions 

in comparison to other counties. Nearly 80 percent of 

Washington’s 39 counties submitted safety plans,

resulting in the funding of high-priority locations 

around the State and increased local agency 

engagement.

Virginia: Deployment of HSIP Projects Using 

Virginia-Specific Safety Performance Functions. 

Virginia DOT engineers developed a tool to 

determine the expected performance level of a 

roadway and compared these expected levels to the 

actual, observed performance to identify the potential 

for safety improvement (PSI). Locations with the 

greatest PSI were generally rated as the highest 

priority, allowing the deployment of safety projects in 

locations where they will do the most good. 

Florida: Texas-Americana Road Safety Small 

Area Study. The Department of Public Works in 

Orange County, FL, conducted a small area study to 

evaluate a cluster of intersections and roadways in 

the Texas-Americana neighborhood with high crash 

rates. The multi-modal Road Safety Audit the county 

conducted revealed infrastructure issues and 

behavioral needs resulting in a bicycle helmet 

promotion and giveaway, a community forum to 

present the findings to the public, and the 

identification of low-cost maintenance activities such 

as sidewalk repair and vegetation management to 

improve the safety of the area.

Members of the Texas-Americana road safety audit team 

discuss a concern.

Florida: Safe Mobility for Life Coalition. Florida’s 

Safe Mobility for Life Coalition works to identify both 

engineering and behavioral solutions to improve 

safety, access, and mobility for Florida’s aging 

population. The coalition addresses infrastructure 

modifications, increased visibility, pedestrian-friendly 

intersections, advanced signing, human factors, 

education, and training. Ten key emphasis areas

guide the work of the coalition, and several metrics 

are in place to measure its success.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 4 

ROAD RIGHT-SIZING – A BRIEF LOOK 

INTO ROAD DIET USAGE IN AUSTIN, TX 

By: Becky Crowe, FHWA Office of Safety

Road Diets are modern countermeasures used to 

improve safety and livability near parks, schools, and 

other pedestrian and cyclist-utilized locations. To 

gain a better understanding of Road Diets, the City 

of Austin, TX conducted an analysis of 37 Road Diet 

projects that have been installed since 1999 to 

determine the safety and mobility impacts of these 

projects. 

Road Diets, also called “right-sizing projects,” are 

recognized as a best-practice tool for maintaining 

motor vehicle capacity while reducing high-risk 

speeding and addressing safety concerns for 

pedestrians and cyclists. These projects are typically 

installed in coordination with routine street maintenance, which has enabled a cities like Austin to 

implement Road Diets at roughly one-tenth the cost 

of stand-alone Road Diet implementation projects. 

The City of Austin has joined Secretary Foxx’s Safer 

People, Safer Streets challenge, which highlights the 

ongoing commitment to mobility and safety for all 

modes of transportation. Road Diet implementations 

in Austin within the last 5 years have resulted in 

improved safety for all users with minimal or no 

impact to motor vehicle level of service. 

The Austin Transportation Department (ATD) 

routinely analyzes the city’s streets for opportunities 

to improve safety and mobility for all road users. 

ATD’s goal is to create safe and complete networks 

for everyone, and it acknowledges the reality that the 

large-scale expansion of streets is not financially 

feasible. ATD makes data-driven decisions about the 

city's existing roadway assets and uses Road Diets 

to rebalance underutilized space, improving the 

efficiency of Austin’s streets in the process. Potential 

Road Diet projects are selected for analysis for a 

number of different reasons, including the need for 

improved safety or to provide space for other modes 

of travel. Austin has selected high-crash locations for 

these analyses. In addition, Austin citizens or neighborhood associations can request Road Diets in 

order to improve safety on their neighborhood 

streets. 

Analyses of the impact of Road Diets involves the 

study of a “change of operations” at intersections 

Road Diet projects have been a way for the City of Austin to 

expand its bicycle network, which correlates with Secretary 

Foxx’s goals and new Ladders of Opportunity effort.

A typical Road Diet can reduce crashes up to 69 percent. 

More information on Road Diet benefits and implementation can be found at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/road_diets/.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 5 

and on arterials as well as changes in crashes and 

other safety characteristics such as pedestrian and 

cyclist perceptions of safety. Of the 37 total projects 

completed in Austin since 1999, 32 were on roads 

with fewer than 15,000 average daily users. Austin 

has proven that road diets can be used effectively on 

low-volume roads to improve safety while 

maintaining mobility. 

ATD now regularly includes public involvement and 

outreach in recognition of the value gained from 

engaging and gathering input from citizens who use 

these streets on a daily basis. After implementation 

of a Road Diet project, ATD observes traffic 

operations and responds to citizen phone calls and 

311 requests to ensure successful implementation. 

Before and after studies are completed to ensure 

impacts are realized. Areas of study in Austin include 

traffic volumes, travel times, peak hour operations, 

motor vehicle speeds, and crash histories. 

Road Diet conversions have been implemented for 

more than three decades. Still, this type of 

conversion is relatively unusual and new to most 

transportation professionals, local jurisdictions, and 

the traveling public. Education and outreach play a 

critical role in the success of a Road Diet. 

The Austin experience has repeatedly demonstrated 

that Road Diet projects can accommodate the same 

motor vehicle volumes, avoid increases in travel 

time, reduce high-risk speeding, and reduce 

collisions. 

To learn more about Road Diets, download the Road 

Diet Case Studies Guide at http://safety.fhwa.dot. 

gov/road_diets/case_studies/roaddiet_cs.pdf. To 

learn more about Road Diets in Austin Texas, read 

the full Austin Transportation Department Lane 

Conversion report at: http://austintexas.gov/

sites/default/files/files/Lane_Conversion_Report_

2015-06-01.pdf 

NEW REPORT SUMMARIZES PEDESTRIAN 

AND BICYCLIST ROAD SAFETY 

ASSESSMENTS INITIATIVE

By Gabe Rousseau, FHWA Office of Safety

Recent years have seen a rise in pedestrian and 

bicyclist fatalities, and to help reverse this 

unfortunate trend, Secretary Foxx launched the 

Safer People, Safer Streets initiative in fall of 2014 

(see https://www.transportation.gov/safer-peoplesafer-streets). The Safer People, Safer Streets

initiative aims to make communities safer for walking 

and bicycling. As part of the initiative, Secretary Foxx 

also charged USDOT field offices to conduct at least 

one on-the-ground pedestrian or bicyclist safety 

assessment in each State before the end of May 

2015. FHWA Division Offices led 36 of 52 total 

assessments (i.e., all 50 States plus the District of 

Columbia and Puerto Rico). Field offices for the 

Federal Transit Administration, National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration, and Federal Railroad 

Administration led the remaining 16. 

In late October 2015, the USDOT released a report

describing the assessments, and the benefits of 

conducting them (find the report 

at http://www.transportation.gov/ped-bikesafety/pedestrian-and-bicyclist-safety-assessmentreport). More than 1,500 people, including elected 

officials, field office leaders, and representatives 

from local, regional, State, Federal, and non-governmental agencies took part in the assessments. The 

assessments were intended to facilitate and encourage relationship building between people who 

work for different jurisdictions and who share 

responsibility for creating safer streets. This initiative 

was also intended to help U.S. DOT promote 

assessments as an effective tool for improving 

pedestrian and bicycle safety. 

U.S. DOT has a long history of supporting on-theground assessments, ranging from formal pedestrian 

and bicycle road safety audits (RSAs), to neighborhood walkabouts, because such assessments 

can provide substantial benefits to all road users 

while improving safety. The report also highlights 

some of the ways that communities used the assessments to better understand and address some of the 

barriers and the resources that local communities 

and the U.S. DOT can use, both at the physical and 

programmatic levels, to continue working to improve 

safe walking and bicycling throughout the Nation. 

You can read what Deputy Secretary Mendez wrote 

in the Fast Lane blog about the report’s release 

at https://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/collaborati

on-helps-improve-pedestrian-and-bicyclistsafety. Find out more about pedestrian and bicycle 

RSAs 

at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/ 
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 6 

“NEW AND IMPROVED” ROADWAY 

SAFETY DATA DASHBOARD NOW LIVE! 

By: Danielle Betkey, FHWA Office of Safety

The FHWA Office of Safety recently launched the 

“new and improved” Roadway Safety Data 

Dashboard, available at: https://rspcb.safety.fhwa.

dot.gov/SafetyCOP.aspx. The data dashboard has 

been completely redesigned to improve usability and 

expand the capabilities of the site. Since fatality data 

can be very complex, the dashboard allows users to 

convert data into graphical displays that make it

easier to see trends and make comparisons between 

States, metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), 

and regions. Using data from the Fatality Analysis 

Reporting System (FARS), users are able to 

generate charts and graphs to display the data 

elements that describe the crash, the vehicle, and 

the people involved. 

Some of the exciting NEW features enable users to:

• Condense workflow with a single step-by-step 

procedure and drop-down menus;

• View new combinations of display and 

comparison options to include: types of collisions, 

persons involved, and location and setting;

Create and view multiple graphs to compare 

different States, regions, and MPOs in a single 

dashboard; 

• Take advantage of new display options, such as 

line, spline, and area charts;

• Generate a web link to share your dashboard;

• View and export the underlying graph data into 

an Excel spreadsheet; and

• Edit graph options to easily change criteria of 

type of graph.

The Office of Safety will continue to make updates 

by adding new features and data to the data 

dashboard to ensure this tool is beneficial and 

valuable to our safety partners. We are also 

interested in your feedback, so please 

visit https://rspcb.safety.fhwa.dot.gov/noteworthy/fee

dback_dashboard.aspx and let us know (good or 

bad) what you think about the data dashboard, what 

data or features would you like to see added, and 

any issues you may have experienced when creating 

your dashboard. For more information, please 

contact Danielle Betkey at Danielle.Betkey@dot.gov. 

Examples of data graphs generated by the Roadway Safety Data Dashboard.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 7 

FHWA has proposed a NEW Transportation Pooled 

Fund study to improve safety on unpaved roads. Does 

your State have a safety issues on unpaved roads? 

Would your agency be interested in participating in 

the pooled fund study? To learn more, please contact 

Rosemarie.Anderson@dot.gov.

NEW GUIDEBOOK ON SAFETY DATA FOR 

TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS NOW 

AVAILABLE! 

The Federal Highway Administration has released a 

new guidebook entitled Applying Safety Data and 

Analysis to Performance–Based Transportation 

Planning. This guidebook provides State and 

regional planners with information on how to 

effectively use safety data and analysis tools in 

performance-based transportation planning and 

programming processes. 

The safety data and analysis results help States 

DOTs and regional transportation agencies 

determine safety goals, objectives, measures, and 

targets. Qualitative and quantitative analyses are 

essential to understanding safety issues and needs; 

and to effectively planning and programming projects 

and strategies. This guidebook will help transportation planners understand the types of safety data

they need and how to access them; analysis 

questions to consider; and opportunities to use the 

data and analysis to inform planning and programming decisions. Real and hypothetical examples are

included throughout the guidebook to demonstrate 

approaches to addressing each of these topics. 

The guidebook is available from: http://safety.fhwa.

dot.gov/tsp/fhwasa15089/. For more information, 

please contact Chimai Ngo at chimai.ngo@dot.gov. 

FHWA SEEKS PARTNERS FOR UNPAVED 

ROAD SAFETY POOLED FUND STUDY

By: Gabe Rousseau and Rosemarie Anderson, 

FHWA Office of Safety

In 2012 there were more than 1.3 million miles of unpaved road in the United States, accounting for 

almost 35 percent of the more than 4 million miles of 

roadway in the Nation. Unpaved roads only account 

for about 2.4 percent of fatalities nationally, but in 

some States these roadways account for up to 20 

percent of road fatalities. All but four States reported 

fatal crashes on unpaved roads in 2012.

Because reductions in serious injury and fatal 

crashes throughout a State’s entire transportation 

system are a primary goal of State departments of

transportation (DOTs), achieving reductions in 

unpaved roadway injuries must be addressed.

Decreasing fatalities requires the consideration of 

safety improvements on the local roadway system. In 

many States, a large percentage of roadways on the 

local system have an unpaved surface. 

Several trends are likely impacting the number of 

crashes recorded along unpaved roadways. These 

trends include lack of maintenance, ex-urban 

development (i.e., a semi-rural region lying adjacent 

to a city’s suburbs), larger agricultural equipment, 

and the conversion of paved roadways to unpaved 

roadways. Several safety improvements that have 

proven to address safety on paved roadways may 

also be appropriate for unpaved roadways; however, 

many improvements are not appropriate. This has 

left large gaps in agencies’ ability to address safety 

on unpaved roadways. 

The objectives of the pooled fund effort are to 

conduct traffic safety research for unpaved roads 

with the ultimate goal of producing findings that will 

assist agencies in reducing fatalities and serious 

injuries on these roads. In order to do this, the 

following activities will be undertaken by the study 

participants: 

• Conduct research on the effectiveness of existing 

and promising innovative safety countermeasures for unpaved road safety, which could 

lead to the development of crash modification 

factors; 

• Examine driver behaviors that could lead to 

crashes on unpaved roads as well as efforts to 

develop strategies to reduce those crashes; and

• Determine the research, environmental, 

maintenance, and infrastructural elements that 

contribute to traffic safety issues prevalent on 

unpaved roadways. 

The study will also create a platform for Federal, 

State, Tribal and local practitioners to share 

information, stay informed of current safety-related 

research, and collaborate to initiate new research of 

importance on unpaved roads.

For more information about the study, please 

visit http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Solicitation/14

19. 
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 8 

FHWA/NHTSA RELEASE NEW STATE 

TRAFFIC RECORDS COORDINATING 

COMMITTEE NOTEWORTHY PRACTICES 

By: Esther Strawder, FHWA Office of Safety, and Kara 

Beach, VHB

The USDOT Traffic Records Coordinating 

Committee (TRCC), FHWA Office of Safety, and 

NHTSA Office of Traffic Records and Analysis 

recently collaborated to develop the State Traffic 

Records Coordinating Committee Noteworthy 

Practices guide. The Guide was developed using a 

case study approach collected through interviews 

with State TRCCs along with the expertise of an 

advisory group. 

In 2013 and 2014, participants in the Traffic Records 

Forum TRCC Roundtable Sessions identified common issues and barriers experienced by State 

TRCCs. This Guide strives to address these issues 

and more by recognizing practices common to successful TRCCs and recommending actions for States 

to consider for implementation. In addition, an appendix on funding sources—both existing and 

potential—speaks to one of the most commonly cited 

barriers. 

The Guide is intended to assist State traffic record 

coordinators, chairs, and members in evaluating their 

TRCCs and identifying strategies most applicable to 

their needs. However, the Guide’s target audience is 

not limited to those directly engaged in State TRCCs. 

Stakeholders, partner agencies, and other interested 

parties are also encouraged to use the Guide to 

identify potential strategies for partnering and 

opening dialogues with their State TRCC or traffic 

records agencies. 

The case study and interview approach revealed

several key themes consistent among the participating State TRCCs, including performance 

assessment, strategic planning and TRCC improvement, and management. The themes are further 

broken down into specific noteworthy practices, 

described in detail by the Guide and illustrated in the 

case studies. Although the participating TRCCs 

differed in structure, size, and approach, each TRCC 

engaged in a combination of the practices. 

Performance assessment includes traffic records 

assessments and self-assessment. TRCCs are 

required to undergo a traffic records assessment on 

a 5-year cycle in order to maintain eligibility for 

grants, yet several of the participating State TRCCs 

go beyond the requirements. For instance, one State 

reported annually reviewing its strategic plan. Others 

undergo self-assessments to routinely gauge their 

performance and monitor project status. States 

accomplished ongoing assessments differently. 

Some hired dedicated coordinators to monitor the 

TRCC, others surveyed members and potential 

members, and several established sub-committees 

and ad-hoc committees to address specific issues 

identified through the assessments. 

Strategic planning is closely tied to performance 

assessment, and TRCCs are required at minimum to 

approve a State Traffic Records Strategic Plan. 

Highly effective TRCCs take additional steps to play 

an active role in strategic planning, thereby helping 

their States go beyond project-driven plans by 

establishing quantitative goals and system-wide data 

quality performance metrics. Additionally, there are 

several TRCCs that use action plans within the 

Strategic Plans to track progress and provide regular 

status updates to the full committee. The more 

effective State committees also develop vision and 

mission statements that outline the TRCCs’ purpose 

and guide the decision-making processes associated 

with goal setting and action planning. 

Finally, the Guide reports that effective TRCCs are 

often a reflection of effective 

management. This broad 

umbrella term refers to 

several noteworthy practices, 

such as an emphasis on 

relationship building, foundational documents such as 

memoranda of understanding 

between partner agencies, 

and establishing TRCC support. The participating States 

all functioned well within varying structures—singletier, two-tier, and support committees—but each has 

identified authority positions responsible for decision 

making. Another similarity is that all the TRCCs 

developed foundational documents, although some 

have undertaken formal charters or agreements 

while others operate effectively on a less structured 

level. 

Under the management theme, each TRCC 

emphasized the importance of relationship building 

and maintenance. Several TRCCs described 

meeting formats in which all attendees are allotted 

time to report out and feel comfortable asking 

questions or challenging decisions. One State uses a 

website to post upcoming meeting agendas and 

dates, as well as presentations from previous 
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 9 

meetings. The website is linked to a university 

partner that produces and posts data reports 

publicly. 

The Guide draws attention to the commonalities 

among many of the noteworthy practices identified 

through the interviews. For example, cultivating 

strong relationships among TRCC members is both 

a noteworthy practice of effective TRCCs and an 

outcome of clearly defined roles and purposes, 

ongoing strategic planning and project planning, and 

leadership that fosters and maintains relationships. 

Similarly, effective TRCCs use self-assessments to 

monitor progress toward action plans and identify the 

need for ad hoc committees to address special 

issues when they arise. 

State TRCCs should approach these noteworthy 

practices as a menu of options rather than a 

prescription. One size does not fit all—the practices 

identified in the Guide are adaptable to the specific 

needs and goals of individual States. 

For more details on these noteworthy practices and 

steps for enhancing State TRCCs, download a 

complete copy of the Guide 

at: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsdp/downloads/trcc_no

teworthy.pdf. Please contact Esther Strawder 

at Esther.Strawder@dot.gov for more information. 

FHWA PEER EXCHANGE TESTIMONIAL:

EMBRACING THE LOCAL ROAD 

PRACTITIONER

By: Richie Beyer, PE, Elmore County Engineer, Alabama

I have been fortunate to have participated in a 

number of peer exchange events related to safety 

over the years. Each event has been a wonderful 

and humbling experience as I have had the privilege 

of representing my county and State in an 

environment full of great professionals from across 

our Nation. These engaged professionals aren't 

afraid to share their experiences, good or bad, with 

the group about how they have tackled or are 

currently coping with similar safety issues. 

This past September I had another one of those 

opportunities, as FHWA held a peer exchange in 

Nashville, TN, to share information and promote the 

systemic safety implementation approach. When I 

was asked to share my perspective about the event, 

I considered writing about the multitude of different

practices and methods used by the States that 

participated, but I felt compelled to share a few of the 

overarching thoughts that I came away with from the 

meeting. 

First, I have left each of these exchanges in awe of 

the professionalism exhibited. Whether it is the 

FHWA staff facilitating the meetings or the State 

DOT and local representatives, these individuals’ 

commitment and dedication to safety never ceases 

to amaze me. I have always come away pondering 

the ways I can improve our efforts for the citizens we 

serve. The energy and ideas I receive out of these 

events improve the way I perform my job and provide 

a catalyst in many cases to re-energize our efforts on 

the home front. While the outcomes of attending 

these events may be difficult to measure in dollars, 

having the additional knowledge and tools to prevent 

even a single fatality makes the effort invaluable.

Second, I have witnessed an evolution in 

transportation safety practices since 2005, when I 

was asked to serve as the county engineer 

representative on our State’s SHSP development 

committee. Since that time, I have witnessed safety 

programs in general utilize data more efficiently and

proactively to prevent fatalities rather than react to 

fatal hot spots. The most recent peer exchange I 

attended was about improving safety using the 

Save the Date!

The next noteworthy practice webinar is coming 

up! Please join us! 

When: January 26, 2016

 1:00–2:30 PM EST

Title: Leading Effective Traffic 

 Enforcement Programs

Presenter: Thomas J. Gianni, Chief 

 Maryland Highway Safety Office

This webinar will feature a joint effort by the 

Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, the 

Maryland Sheriffs’ Association, and the Maryland 

Police & Correctional Training Commission to 

provide police officers (especially those that have 

a traffic enforcement supervisory responsibility) 

with a better understanding of the larger “science” 

behind highway safety, including the “4E's.” This 

webinar will include modules on planning and 

evaluation as well as a team project. For more 

information, please contact Melonie Barrington at 

Melonie.Barrington@dot.gov (202-366-8029) or

register at: https://collaboration.fhwa.dot.gov/

dot/fhwa/WC/Lists/Seminars/DispForm.aspx?ID

=863
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 10

systemic safety approach, a concept that was not 

initially embraced. There were few who truly had 

systemic methodologies in place, but it is becoming 

standard practice. Being able to witness and 

participate in this positive movement toward 

improving the public’s safety has been very 

enlightening for me. 

My final thought is centered around the makeup of 

the participants in these peer exchanges. Too many 

times, we as local government representatives hear 

how FHWA’s mission is geared to support State 

DOTs. Although this relationship is one of great 

importance, very few trips take place only on State 

and Federal roads. Local roads and bridges 

dominate the landscape of our country, accounting 

for 75 percent of our Nation’s road network. Through 

these peer exchanges, it is refreshing to see how 

FHWA has ensured inclusion of local governments in 

the process so that the citizens are afforded roads 

and bridges that are exemplars of best practices in 

roadway safety, regardless of who owns and 

maintains these roads. FHWA is fostering an 

environment where it is the norm to include local 

road practitioners in discussions on roadway safety 

side-by-side with their State and Federal partners. 

As a “local,” that has been a refreshing transition, 

and I can only hope that the trend continues in the 

future.

FHWA TO DEVELOP NEW SAFETY DATA 

MANAGEMENT GUIDE 

By: Stuart Thompson, FHWA Office of Safety

Now more than ever, managing a transportation 

safety program involves understanding the costs and 

benefits of investing in data management strategies 

that improve data quality, allow for advanced 

analysis capabilities, and support data-driven 

decision-making processes. To help safety program 

managers with the complexities of today’s safety 

data management, FHWA has embarked on a 

project focusing on data management and 

governance processes that will assist States in

developing, enhancing, managing, maintaining, and 

governing effective safety data systems. 

The project has two main goals: 

1. Develop a guide to help States develop, 

implement, and maintain a data business 

plan, and

2. Assist States to plan for successfully 

integrated safety data management systems.

The guide will focus primarily on safety data, which 

includes the crash, roadway inventory, and traffic 

volume data used by safety managers and engineers 

for safety analysis tools, decision-making, planning, 

and reporting purposes. The purpose of the guide is 

to develop practical and systematic instructions for 

State DOTs to follow when establishing a Safety 

Data Business Plan that results in improved 

management and governance of safety-related data 

to support decision making. 

The seven steps presented in the Guide for State 

DOT Safety Data Business Planning (see figure) 

help safety program managers and engineers 

improve their safety data programs through: 

• Establishing agency-wide data management and 

governance processes, 

• Understanding their roles and responsibilities 

within data management and governance, and 

• Providing information about safety program

needs to other business areas charged with 

managing safety data. 

Safety Data Management Guide Steps

1. Plan for Safety Data 

Management/ Governance

2. Assess Current State of Safety 

Data Program

3. Establish a Safety Data 

Governance Program

4. Leverage Technology for Safety 

Data Management

5. Develop Implementation Plan

6. Document the Safety Data 

Business Plan

7. Implement and Sustain Safety 

Data Business Plan
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 11

The FHWA Safety Data Management Systems and 

Processes project is being accomplished through the 

implementation of several tasks. In addition to 

creating a technical advisory group and conducting a 

literature review, the effort also involves preparing a 

set of case studies from among the nine State DOTs 

interviewed in the literature review to represent 

noteworthy practices in different subject areas 

supporting safety data management. The following 

summarizes the four selected case studies:

• Michigan: Establishing enterprise (statewide 

and DOT) data governance practices. Michigan 

DOT established data governance policies early

and, recognizing that data are an asset, 

established goals for data collection and 

management that are usable for the enterprise. 

The DOT also worked to ensure that departmental goals are consistent with statewide enterprise 

information management strategies. On a 

practical level, Michigan DOT is working to 

establish formal roles and responsibilities for data 

management, including developing a data 

governance council and a chief data steward role. 

From a technical perspective, a centralized 

Information Technology Department supports 

tools for improving business operations, including 

an integrated linear referencing system to 

maintain location and use of AASHTOWare Safety 

AnalystTM, the Highway Safety Manual, and GIS 

tools to support analysis of safety data.

Source: www.michigan.gov/mdot/

• Utah: Implementation of innovative technology 

for data management and analysis. The Utah 

DOT (UDOT) case study recognizes the State’s 

forward-thinking data management and 

governance strategies that support a number of 

tools for data sharing and safety analysis. The 

case study provides details on a few of UDOT’s 

safety data analysis tools, including the Uplan, a 

web map portal used for sharing several themed 

maps created from data available in UDOT’s Data 

Portal; Linear Bench, a web-based dashboard 

that allows users to select a road segment and 

data sets to generate a straight-line diagram, 

tabular report, or map display with the selected 

characteristics; the Crash Data Analysis Tool, 

which uses crash and incident location data 

combined with asset inventory data related to 

safety and damage cost estimates, showing 

where funding for safety improvements are 

needed; and the Report Auto Generator, a tool 

that uses a download parameter from Linear 

Bench to produce an auto-populated bid estimate. 

• Alaska: Continuous improvement in data 

governance practices. The Alaska Department 

of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) 

has been working toward better data management 

practices to support their core business programs, 

which include safety, traffic, roadway data system, 

road weather information systems, and the 511 

traveler information systems. ADOT&PF is 

working on integrating its asset management 

information systems through a data business plan 

and data governance manual that support asset 

management systems. The asset management 

system encourages data management activities 

that are scalable for use at the enterprise level. 

• New Hampshire: Leveraging technology for 

data integration to support safety programs. 

New Hampshire DOT (NHDOT) is a leader in the 

integration of State and local roadway data for use 

in their safety data systems and analysis tools. 

Their noteworthy practices include the use of 

technology for analytical capabilities, integration 

tools, data sharing, and data governance 

practices to support safety programs. Their 

methods include providing quarterly snapshots

Source: UDOT Twitter - #Message Monday

(Part of UDOT’s Zero Fatalities Initiative) 
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 12

of available data, contributing data to a statewide 

GIS data warehouse, and creating and sharing 

web maps and applications. Data governance at 

NHDOT focuses strongly on improving data 

quality and setting goals for safety data improvements in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan. 

Additional task activities include hosting a peer 

exchange, selecting of pilot States to conduct pilot

studies, and finalizing the guide. Once the draft 

guide for State DOT Safety Data Business Planning 

is ready, the project team will select two States to 

pilot-test the Guide and develop State safety data 

business plans. The final Guide will incorporate the 

lessons learned from the pilot efforts and is intended 

to become a resource for all States to use for safety 

data management. 

In addition, FHWA is sponsoring several safety data 

webinars to communicate the results of these tasks 

to States at key milestones throughout the project. 

There have been two webinars to date. One held on 

October 19, 2015, updated States on the Guide 

progress, highlighted the case study results, 

exchanged information on safety data management 

noteworthy practices, and resulted in useful 

feedback for the Guide development. Another held 

on November 10, 2015, focused on Improving Safety 

Programs Through Data Governance and Data 

Business Planning and included a compilation of 

information gathered during the March 2015 Safety 

Data Peer Exchange. Additional webinars will be 

conducted following completion of the draft and final

versions of the Guide.

Information about the Safety Data Systems and 

Processes project, including project reports, 

supporting presentation materials, future 

presentations, and other resources will be posted on 

a project website linked to the Roadway Safety Data 

Program Toolbox (http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsdp/). 

NEW! COMPANION GUIDE TO THE 

HANDBOOK FOR DESIGNING ROADWAYS 

FOR THE AGING POPULATION 

By: Rebecca Crowe, FHWA Office of Safety

According to the Administration on Aging, by 2030, 

there will be approximately 72.1 million aging 

persons, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the 

population of driving age in this country. In effect, for 

many aspects of road planning and design, the

“design driver” and the “design pedestrian” of the 

early 21st century will likely be 65 or over. 

Quality of life for aging persons depends to an 

extraordinary degree on remaining independent, 

which in turn requires mobility. 

In our society, and among older 

populations, the overwhelming 

choice of mobility options is the 

personal automobile. Other 

mobility options that may be 

used include public transit and 

walking. This means that there 

will be a steadily increasing 

proportion of drivers and 

pedestrians who experience the 

physical effects of aging, 

including declining vision, slowed decision-making 

and reaction times, increased difficulty dividing 

attention between traffic demands and other 

important sources of information, and reductions in 

strength, flexibility, and general fitness. 

In 2014, FHWA published a comprehensive resource

entitled the Handbook for Designing Roadways for 

the Aging Population, which incorporated the latest

research, expanded the range of applications 

covered in previous guides, and introduced a Webbased version to facilitate access and use by the 

engineering professionals charged with improving

our streets and highways in the years ahead.

Now, FHWA has published a companion guide to the 

handbook that is designed to serve as a quickreference resource focused on the five broad 

categories of roadway features presented in part I of 

the larger handbook. Ideal for use in the field or as 

an abbreviated source of basic information, each 

chapter contains a number of specific design
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 13

elements and guidance on implementation. The top 

priority is intersections, reflecting aging drivers’ 

most serious and enduring crash problem area, as 

well as the area of greatest exposure to risk for 

pedestrians. Next, well-documented difficulties with 

merging/weaving and lane changing maneuvers 

focus attention on interchanges. Roadway 

segments, with an emphasis on curves and passing 

zones, is also included, as are highway 

construction/work zones due to both the 

heightened tracking (steering) demands that may 

increase a driver’s workload when traversing a work 

zone as well as the increased potential for 

unexpected events requiring a rapid response that 

often accompany work zone driving conditions. 

Finally, highway-rail grade crossings are 

considered as sites where conflicts are rare—and 

therefore unexpected—and where problems of 

detection (with passive controls) may be 

exaggerated due to sensory losses with advancing 

age. 

Within each chapter is a list of the design elements. 

For each design element, the desk reference 

illustrates the recommended treatments. Below each 

treatment are references that indicate the page 

within the Handbook where practitioners can find a 

more detailed and complete discussion of that 

treatment. Following the numbered design elements

is a section on “Promising Practice” treatments. 

These are treatments that designers and engineers 

should consider, recognizing that they are currently 

being used by one or more agencies, and, although 

they have not been evaluated formally, are generally 

believed to benefit the aging population. 

This new product is intended to help practitioners 

become familiar with the most effective road design 

treatments for promoting the safety of older road

users, ultimately serving to improve the 

accommodation of aging road users on the Nation’s 

transportation system. 

To access either the handbook or the desk 

reference, visit http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/

older_users/#training. For more information about

FHWA’s Older Driver program, please contact 

Rebecca Crowe at rebecca.crowe@dot.gov. 

NEW SAFETY ANALYSIS OF FREEWAYS 

AND INTERCHANGES WORKSHOP

By: Jerry Roche, FHWA Office of Safety, and Dave 

Engstrom, FHWA Resource Center 

In 2010, AASHTO published the first edition of the 

Highway Safety Manual, which provided a go-to 

source of crash prediction models for segments and 

intersections on two-lane rural roads, rural multilane 

highways, and urban and suburban arterials. 

Although a major advance, it lacked models for one 

important road type on which transportation 

professionals dedicate considerable time and 

resources – freeways and interchanges. 

Recently, AASHTO published the Highway Safety 

Manual First Edition with 2014 Supplement, which 

provides safety prediction methodologies for 

freeways, ramps, and ramp terminals developed 

under NCHRP 17-45. In addition to the new HSM 

chapters, two free companion analysis tools were 

also updated. NCHRP 17-45 developed the 

Enhanced Interchange Safety Analysis Tool (ISATe), 

an enhanced version of the 2007 ISAT spreadsheet, 

and FHWA updated the Interactive Highway Safety 

Design Model (IHSDM), including a new module that 

quickly allows users to analyze various alternatives. 

(See page 18 for more detailed information about the 

2015 enhancements to the IHSDM.) More 

information on both tools is available 

at http://www.highwaysafetymanual.org/Pages/tools_

sub.aspx. 

Under the EDC-3 Data-Driven Safety Analysis effort, 

FHWA’s Resource Center Safety and Design 

Technical Services Team has begun offering a 

FREE, two-day Safety Analysis of Freeways and

Interchanges workshop. The workshop presents the 

crash prediction methodologies for freeway 

segments, ramps, and ramp terminals published in 

the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual First Edition 

with 2014 Supplement. The course also includes 

demonstrations and hands-on exercises using the
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 14

Enhanced Interchange Safety Analysis Tool (ISATe) 

spreadsheet and the Interactive Highway Safety 

Design Model (IHSDM). Those States looking to 

advance their DDSA implementation level under 

EDC-3 will be given first opportunity to host the 

workshop. For more information on the EDC-3 DataDriven Safety Analysis effort, visit the EDC-3 DataDriven Safety Analysis web page 

at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycou

nts/edc-3/ddsa.cfm. An overview of the course 

material will be provided in an upcoming webinar 

scheduled for January 27, 2016, at 2:00-3:30 PM 

Eastern. 

For more information or to schedule a workshop in 

your State, please contact Dave Engstrom 

at david.engstrom@dot.gov or (708) 283-3545. 

MINNESOTA “MUMBLE STRIPS” SHOW 

PROMISE – ANALYSIS UNDERWAY

By: Cathy Satterfield, P.E., FHWA Office of Safety 

From 2009 to 2013, Minnesota experienced 589 fatal 

crashes attributed either to head-on or run-off-theroad (ROR) crashes on rural two-lane roadways. 

These types of crashes represent over 34 percent of 

all the fatalities on Minnesota roads, most of which 

appear to result from drivers drifting over center lines 

or edge lines. When reviewing the locations and time 

frame of fatal crashes on Minnesota Department of 

Transportation (MnDOT) trunk highways, the agency 

determined that, during the 4-year period, 40 percent 

of ROR-right crashes were on roads that did not 

have edge line rumble strips, none of the ROR-left 

crashes were on roads with center line rumble strips, 

and 91 percent of the head-on crashes were on 

roads without centerline rumble strips. In total, during 

the 5-year period 265 fatalities occurred on roads

where there were no rumble strips. 

As a result of the data analysis, the agency is 

discussing recommendations that include retrofitting

all two-lane roads with average daily traffic (ADT) 

greater than 400 with both center line and edge line 

rumble strips, creating a buffer width for roads with 

an ADT greater than 2,000, removing trees from the 

clear-zone, eliminating access points or flattening

entrance slopes, applying delineation and rumbles 

on horizontal curves, and continuing to support 

counties and local agencies with data and Highway 

Safety Improvement Program funds. Currently 

MnDOT’s Rumble Strip Technical Memorandum 

requires installing rumble strips when roads are 

reconstructed or overlaid. The policy requires (with 

some exceptions) center line rumble strips on all 

rural, high-speed, undivided roads and shoulder 

Both the ISATe and IHSDM tools were successfully demonstrated on PennDOT’s I-70 reconstruction project.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 15

rumble strips on all 

rural, high-speed 

roads with 

shoulders that are 

at least 4 feet 

wide. 

The challenge is 

that some Districts 

where rumble 

strips have been 

installed have 

been dealing with 

noise complaints 

from residents. 

While in most 

cases the public 

has gotten used to 

them, and most 

people understand 

the need for this 

safety treatment, in some locations center line 

rumbles have been removed in response to the 

public’s complaints. There is a concern that this 

issue will continue to grow as more roads are 

resurfaced and have the rumble strips installed. 

In response to the noise concerns raised by the 

public, MnDOT has undertaken a study of sinusoidal 

design alternatives that have the potential to produce 

an appropriate level of audible alert inside the 

vehicle (to wake up a drowsy driver or capture the 

attention of a distracted driver), while minimizing the 

noise exterior to the vehicle that can be irritating to 

nearby residents. These sinusoidal designs are 

sometimes referred to as “mumble strips” for their 

exterior noise dampening quality.

MnDOT has installed several variations of these 

mumble strips as part of the study and has

determined a 14-inch wavelength appears the most 

promising. The agency will perform noise level 

analyses on two different “depths” and two design 

options. The first depth option oscillates between 

1/16” to 3/8” below the pavement surface, the 

second oscillates between 1/16” to 1/2” below the 

pavement surface. Each of these depths will be 

included on both design options: 

• A single strip with sloped sides that is 14 inches

at the bottom and 16 inches at the top 

• Two 8-inch strips placed 4 inches apart (this 

option is intended for use where there is 

concerns with the pavement joint condition)

• One feature MnDOT is particularly interested in is 

that the entire milled mumble strip be positioned 

below the roadway surface, so that when 

markings are applied to the strip, they will not be 

exposed to snowplow blades that can remove the 

embedded glass beads that make the markings 

visible to nighttime drivers, and sometimes the 

marking itself.

Sinusoidal rumble strips are more expensive to 

install than the traditional milled rumble strips due to 

the need for continuous milling of the pavement, 

whereas traditional rumble strips mill 7 inches and 

leave 5 inches of untouched pavement between 

each corrugation. Despite this, MnDOT calculates a 

very high benefit-cost ratio for the countermeasure, 

assuming it provides the same safety effectiveness 

of traditional rumble strips.

To date, MnDOT has taken noise measurements 

with three different types of vehicles (a passenger 

car, a full-size pick-up and a three-axle single-unit 

truck) and is in the process of analyzing the results. 

The agency is currently studying any potential safety 

concerns of motorcyclists and bicyclists. A final 

report on the findings of the study is expected to be 

complete by winter 2016. For more information on 

the Minnesota data analysis, contact Derek Leuer 

(derek.leuer@state.mn.us) and on the Minnesota 

sinusoidal study, contact Kenneth Johnson 

(ken.johnson@state.mn.us). 

(Special thanks to Kenneth Johnson and Derek 

Leuer of MnDOT, whose peer exchange 

presentations were the basis of this article.)

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2014 HSIP

NATIONAL SUMMARY REPORT

By Karen Scurry, FHWA Office of Safety

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is 

a core Federal-aid program the purpose of which is 

to achieve a significant reduction in fatalities and 

serious injuries on all public roads. Under the Moving 

Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, 

Congress authorized approximately $2.4 billion per 

year to help States achieve this goal through the 

implementation of highway safety improvement 

projects, which is nearly double the amount that was 

authorized under the previous legislative act. In turn, 

the States embraced this renewed commitment to 

Example of a 14-inch wide mumble 

strip with a 16-inch wavelength 

currently being studied by MnDOT
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 16

roadway safety, obligating nearly $3 billion for over 

3,200 highway safety improvement projects in 2014.

These highway safety improvement projects come in 

all shapes and sizes.Some are high-value 

reconstruction projects, while others consist of lowcost countermeasure installations across multiple 

sites. The Highway Safety Improvement Program 

2014 National Summary Report provides an 

aggregate summary of the type and cost of projects 

across all States. Highlights of the States' 2014 HSIP 

implementation efforts are provided below. 

• A majority (roughly two-thirds) of HSIP projects 

cost less than $500,000 each, with one-third of 

all projects costing less than $100,000. 

• About 25 percent of HSIP projects would be 

considered high cost, coming in at over 

$1 million each. These projects often include 

widening shoulders, installing rumble strips, 

adding auxiliary lanes, improving intersection 

geometry, or modifying traffic signals. 

• Projects associated with a functional class were 

most often categorized as rural major collector or 

other urban principal arterial. 

• Projects on urban principal arterial interstates 

had the highest average total cost per project of 

$2.73 million, whereas projects on rural local 

roads or streets had the lowest average total cost 

per project of $220,000. 

• There are fewer urban projects than rural 

projects, but the average total cost per project for

the urban projects is greater than the average 

total cost per project for the rural projects.

• Some 60 percent of highway safety improvement 

projects occur on roads owned by the 

State highway agency. 

• Projects on roads owned by the State 

highway agency had the highest 

average total cost per project of just

over $1.0 million, while projects on 

roads owned by county highway 

agencies cost just under $500,000 on 

average. 

• Seventy percent of highway safety 

improvement projects fall into the 

following categories: roadway, 

intersection traffic control, intersection 

geometry, roadside and shoulder 

treatments. 

• Interchange design, advanced 

technology, and ITS and shoulder 

treatment projects have the highest 

average cost per project, whereas roadway and 

traffic control sign work zone, and speed 

management projects have the lowest average 

cost per project.

• States use HSIP funds to address the 

predominant infrastructure-related crash types: 

roadway departure, intersection, and pedestrian 

crashes. 

While the number and cost of HSIP projects slightly 

decreased in 2014 from 2013 levels, the number of 

HSIP projects under MAP-21 for the 2013-2014

period has increased substantially as compared to 

2010-2012. Over the past 6 years, States obligated 

$12.6 billion for more than 15,000 highway safety 

improvement projects. To view the complete 

Highway Safety Improvement Program 2014 

National Summary Report or the individual State 

HSIP reports, 

visit http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/reports/. 
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 17

HIGHWAY SAFETY INFORMATION 

SYSTEM – VI: TEMPLATE FOR THE 

FUTURE

By: Ana Maria Eigen, D.Sc., FHWA Office of Safety 

Research and Development

For nearly a quarter of a century, the Highway Safety 

Information System (HSIS), available 

at http://www.hsisinfo.org/, has linked the best State 

crash, volume, and roadway inventory data, 

converting it into actionable information for the 

transportation community. HSIS provides consistent, 

analysis-ready data sets relevant to the roadway 

community—a resource available exclusively from 

HSIS. The system uses data that are already being 

collected by States for managing the highway 

system and studying highway safety. The data are 

acquired annually from a select group of States, 

processed into a common computer format, 

documented, and prepared for analysis. Currently, 

HSIS links data from California, Illinois, Ohio, Maine, 

Minnesota, North Carolina, Washington, and 

Charlotte. HSIS also contributes both to external 

efforts, supporting studies such as NCHRP Report 

756: Highway Safety Research Agenda: 

Infrastructure and Operations as well as to internal 

safety research, supporting serious injury 

rulemaking. As HSIS-VI enters its last year (prior to 

phase VII of the program), it will serve as the 

template for the future by entering the realm of big 

data.

“Big data” is a term that describes the large volume 

of data—both structured and unstructured—that 

inundates businesses and agencies on a day-to-day 

basis. Some examples of big data include National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration downloads of 

interstellar telescope data or worldwide health 

records compiled by National Institutes of Health for 

epidemiological research. Big data, however, are 

also comprised of smaller, underlying spreadsheets 

or a full spatial conversion to searchable data. In an 

attempt to help agencies manage this large stream 

of data, HSIS has embarked upon three big data 

projects involving artificial realistic data, a 

geographical positioning system (GPS) pilot study, 

and a Second Strategic Highway Research Program 

(SHRP2) surrogate study. The vision and outputs of 

these tasks will shape HSIS phase VII.

Tool Development: model development and 

testing. The Artificial Realistic Data (ARD) task is

funded through the Exploratory Advanced Research 

Program (EAR) and is tasked with determining the 

viability of developing simulation-ready, synthetic 

data sets to assess the performance of multivariate 

modeling methods in capturing causal relationships 

between individual roadway attributes and safety. 

This synthetic database will be used to test 

relationships with small cell sizes or provide identical 

testbeds for multiple researchers to develop models.

Streamlined data extraction using current 

generation tools to develop next generation data. 

Traditionally, data were aggregated from multiple 

State organizations to comprise HSIS State files. 

Currently, a methodology is being developed to 

extract relevant roadway data from GIS files. The 

GIS Pilot Study seeks to automate data extraction 

from a fully spatial environment. One pilot State will 

be selected to conduct the traditional data process 

within the spatial environment, using only spatial 

data from that State. The goal is to apply the same 

process with all other HSIS States in the future. 

Future data set creation will be based upon this 

format.

The Highway Safety Information System: seven States 

and one urban center.

Surrogate for FHWA Big Data. The Exploratory 

Advanced Research Program identified HSIS data 

as a surrogate for the SHRP2 data. HSIS serves as 

a surrogate owing to its linkage of traditionally 

unrelated data sources. The EAR Program issued a 

broad agency announcement seeking extensible 

algorithms to analyze SHRP2 using HSIS data and 

disparate data sources. HSIS was chosen owing to 

its ability to be linked with disparate data sets.

SHRP2 data will be the premier research data set for 

the next two decades, but small cell sizes will plague 

any analysis. For this reason, HSIS is poised to fill 

the void for meaningful analysis within the FHWA big 

data space by developing extensible data sets for 

data extractions to populate models that might be 
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 18

tested within a synthetic environment. HSIS-VII will 

be developed within the realm of big data, taking 

advantage of emerging data science technologies, 

yielding cost-effective, actionable data for the next 

generation of transportation professionals.

For more information on the HSIS, please contact 

Ana Maria Eigen at ana.eigen@dot.gov. 

FHWA RELEASES 2015 VERSION OF 

INTERACTIVE HIGHWAY SAFETY DESIGN 

MODEL

By: Abdul Zineddin, FHWA Office of Safety R&D

On September 30, 2015, the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) released version 11.0.0 of 

the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model 

(IHSDM), a suite of software analysis tools for 

evaluating the safety and operational effects of 

geometric design decisions. IHSDM supports the 

Data-Driven Safety Analysis (DDSA) initiative as part 

of FHWA’s Every Day Counts 3 (EDC 3) efforts. 

IHSDM is one of the predictive approach tools as 

supported by EDC 3. 

IHSDM includes six evaluation modules, which 

provide quantitative information on the expected 

safety and operational performance of a highway 

design: Crash Prediction, Policy Review, Design

Consistency, Traffic Analysis, Intersection Review 

and Driver/Vehicle. The Crash Prediction Module 

(CPM), for example, is a powerful tool which 

implements AASHTO’s Highway Safety Manual

(HSM) Part C Predictive Methods for rural two-lane 

highways, rural multilane highways, urban/suburban 

arterials, and freeways/interchanges. Typical 

applications of the CPM include evaluating the safety 

impact of highway improvements, comparing the 

relative safety performance of design alternatives, 

and assessing the safety cost effectiveness of 

design decisions.

IHSDM has been available since 2003 and has been 

improved and updated every year since then. For the 

2015 release, the Policy Review Module (PRM) was 

expanded to include policy checks for rural multilane 

highways. Previously, the PRM applied only to rural 

two-lane highways. Moreover, the 2015 release

extends the Crash Prediction Module evaluation and 

reporting to include complete interchange-level 

evaluations. 

The IHSDM analysis showed that Alternative 2A was superior to Alternative 3 in 

terms of expected safety performance

What’s New in IHSDM for 2015? 

Policy checks for rural multilane highways are 

now included in the Policy Review Module. 

Evaluation and reporting for the Crash Prediction 

Module have been extended to include complete 

interchange-level evaluations.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 19

Use of the IHSDM is steadily gaining momentum 

among State transportation agencies. One recent 

example of how IHSDM has been used comes from 

the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 

(PennDOT). PennDOT identified a need to modify an 

existing set of interchanges due to their operational, 

geometric, and structural deficiencies. PennDOT’s 

point-of-access request to FHWA focused primarily 

on two alternatives in addition to the no-build option. 

The first, Alternative 2A, retained two closely spaced 

interchanges with some mainline improvements. The 

second, Alternative 3, removed one of the interchanges and added a new connector road and local 

roadway network improvements. Surprisingly, an 

IHSDM analysis revealed that Alternative 2A was 

superior to Alternative 3 in terms of expected safety 

performance, as shown in the figure on page 18.

IHSDM software can be downloaded free of charge 

at www.ihsdm.org. For more information, contact 

Abdul Zineddin at abdul.zineddin@dot.gov. 

TURNING DATA INTO RESULTS –

VIRGINIA DOT ADOPTS DATA 

VISUALIZATION TOOL TO IMPROVE 

SAFETY PROJECT DELIVERY

By: Karen King, FHWA Virginia Division

Like many other transportation agencies, the Virginia 

Department of Transportation (VDOT) has a growing 

need for real-time data and data visualization for its 

performance-driven transportation program. VDOT is 

responsible for a 58,000-mile network of highways 

and 20,800 bridges, and data visualization is an 

important tool in helping to maintain it all. In 2013, 

the VDOT Information Technology Division piloted a

data visualization tool called Tableau1 to analyze

operations and crash events and to optimize the 

deployment of DOT assets. The tool provides a data 

visualization platform that can help users search, 

digest, and understand the significance of the data. 

Since Tableau is easy to use, it puts the reporting 

power in the hands of decision makers, who best 

understand the story the data is telling. For the pilot 

effort, the IT Division sought out volunteers in the 

agency to work with the tool and to create reports 

and dashboards that would improve their program 

areas.

The VDOT Highway Safety Engineering Division 

took on this challenge and became an early adopter 

of Tableau, creating a Highway Safety Improvement 

Program (HSIP) Project Tracking Dashboard (Figure 

1 on page 20) and a Crash Analysis Tool (Figure 2 

on page 20). Both of these tools were created with 

internal staff resources and existing data. 

VDOT Tableau Highway Safety 

Improvement Program (HSIP) Project 

Tracking Dashboard

VDOT receives approximately $50M in HSIP funds 

from FHWA and has anywhere between 800-900 

projects in development. These projects, which also 

include local public agency projects, are managed in 

the nine district offices, and it was difficult to track 

them all—to determine if they were on schedule and 

to communicate how the HSIP program was 

performing. This dashboard helps provide project 

managers with increased project information, all in

one place, helping to improve the schedule status of 

highway safety projects from 77 percent on schedule 

in 2013 (before the tool was available) to 91 percent 

in 2015. 

This dashboard ensures timely delivery of the HSIP 

funds and tracks VDOT HSIP projects in a more 

intuitive and useful way, making complex data more 

accessible, understandable, and usable.

VDOT Tableau Crash Analysis Tool

The Crash Analysis Tool allows both VDOT and 

other safety professionals who are conducting 

engineering and traffic safety studies access to crash 

data. It serves as a platform for highway safety 

professionals to make more informed decisions 

regarding where crashes are occurring and helps 

them correlate the status of ongoing highway safety 

projects.

The Vision for the Future

The tools VDOT Highway Safety Division created are 

available to highway safety professionals who work 

in Virginia. The vision for the future is to work closely 

with VDOT’s Information Technology partners to 

improve the quality, accessibility, and timeliness of 

Virginia’s crash data. 

VDOT also plans to continue using the project 

tracking tool to help project managers improve 

schedule performance for highway safety projects. 

The tools will continue to be updated on a regular 

basis and are available to VDOT and our highway 

safety partners, who work tirelessly to reduce fatal 

and injury crashes on our roadways. 

In addition to the internal VDOT uses, these data 

visualization tools have proven to support the
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 20

 

Figure 1. The Tableau Project Tracking Tool. 

agency’s ability to share data and information with 

the Virginia Division Federal Highway Administration 

Safety Engineer. Using a free reader version of the 

tool, she is able to provide stewardship and oversight 

for the Highway Safety Improvement Program 

(HSIP) as well as perform queries of the crash data 

when needed.

The tools have become a part of VDOT’s decision 

making processes and play an integral role in 

helping agency personnel understand and evaluate 

alternatives for possible highway safety improvement 

projects.

VDOT’s highway safety team is available to facilitate 

discussion and brainstorm ideas for how to make the 

tools even better. For more details please contact

Assistant State Traffic Engineer Mark Cole at 804-

786-4196 or at Mark.cole@vdot.virginia.gov. 

1 FHWA publications may cite specific tools in the interest 

of information exchange. FHWA does not endorse any 

products or manufacturers.Citation of a particular product 

in this article does not constitute an endorsement of this 

product over any other. 

Figure 2. The Tableau Crash Analysis Tool.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 21

KENTUCKY MOST RECENT STATE TO 

JOIN LIFESAVING “YELLOW DOT”

PROGRAM

Fall of 2015 saw the State of Kentucky formally 

adopt the national Yellow Dot program, becoming 

the 16th State to embrace this lifesaving effort. The 

Yellow Dot program is designed to improve 

emergency care to motorists involved in vehicle 

crashes. The “dot” is a circular yellow sticker that 

drivers place on the lower left corner of the driver’s 

side rear window. Its presence alerts emergency 

responders that a pamphlet with identification and 

medical information about the motorist is in the glove 

box. Smaller yellow stickers can also be used on 

motorcycle license plates.

The national Yellow Dot program was created to give 

first responders access to the personal information 

that can be critical to treating injuries if an injured 

person is unable to respond following a crash or 

medical emergency. The all-important pamphlet 

includes the participant’s name, photo, medical 

conditions, recent surgeries, current medications, 

allergies, physical information and emergency 

contact information. During the “golden hour” 

following a crash, having this important medical 

condition information can help EMS responders 

provide appropriate and safe treatment to injured 

crash victims and can be particularly helpful in 

minimizing adverse drug reactions among individuals 

who take certain types of medications.

“Current information is especially important when 

dealing with medical conditions and prescriptions,” 

said Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Executive 

Director Bill Bell, whose agency is tasked with 

administering the program. “It determines the type of 

treatment emergency responders can or cannot 

safely provide.” 

The Yellow Dot program originated in Connecticut in 

2002 and now has spread to 15 other States, often 

expanding on a county by county basis. In some 

States, the program has been adopted after local 

grass-roots efforts by senior advocacy and other 

safety-related organizations. 

“This program is growing nationwide,” said Kentucky 

Governor Steve Beshear. “Not only will it help our 

residents, but with major interstates bringing out-ofstate travelers through the Commonwealth every 

day, we knew Kentucky needed to be on board.”

The Yellow Dot program in Kentucky is supported by 

Federal-aid funds administered through the Federal 

Highway Administration. For more information about 

the Kentucky program, contact Erin Eggen 

at Erin.Eggen@ky.gov. 

Safety Word Search

Take a minute to try our word search featuring some of the most common terms appearing in this issue of 

Safety Compass! 
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 22

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

Transportation Research Board (TRB) 95th

Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2016, 

Washington, DC (http://tinyurl.com/2b6yqg8).The 

meeting program will cover all transportation modes, 

with more than 5,000 presentations in nearly 750

sessions and workshops. The theme for the 2016 

TRB Annual Meeting is “Research Convergence for 

a Multi-Modal Future.”

Countermeasure Strategies for Pedestrian 

Safety: Pedestrian Safety at Transit Locations, 

January 20, 2016, 1:00–2:30 PM EST

(http://tinyurl.com/gsv9rqs). This installment of the 

12-part Federal Highway Administration webinar 

series focused on Countermeasure Strategies for 

Pedestrian Safety will provide detailed information on

safety considerations for pedestrians at transit stops. 

This presentation will examine some of the 

pedestrian safety issues that may exist at transit stop 

locations. Attendees will learn about potential 

solutions for these problems and discuss how 

improving safety can benefit the transit system. 

DDSA “How-To” Webinar Series

As part of its EDC-3 Data-Driven Safety Analysis 

effort, FHWA will be hosting a DDSA “How-To” 

series of webinars beginning in January 2016. This 

series will provide participants with an exploration 

of methods, tools, and resources to incorporate 

safety performance into all highway investment 

decisions. In addition to topical webinars, we will 

also be hosting DDSA “Office Hours,” in which we 

will work through the analysis of actual projects 

submitted by state and local transportation 

professionals. 

To sign up for webinars or for more information, 

please visit: 

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydayco

unts/edc-3/ddsa.cfm 

Some of the topics to be covered include:

• Safety analysis of freeways and interchanges 

(To be held January 27 at 1:00PM Eastern – 

To sign up to attend, visit 

https://collaboration.fhwa.dot.gov/dot/fhwa/

WC/Lists/Seminars/DispForm.aspx?ID=864)

• Integrating safety into all projects 

• Systemic safety analysis approaches with 

limited roadway data

• Scale and scope of HSM applications in project 

development 

• HSM implementation plans 

• Advancing Systemic Safety Efforts with usRAP

• Policy language that drives DDSA 

• Safety performance function calibration and 

development

• Focus Crash Types and Risk Factors for 

Systemic Safety Improvements

• Advanced safety analysis tools 

• Systemic safety applications for pedestrians

• New and improved crash prediction models

NHTSA Announces 2016 Safety 

Summit Series

NHTSA will be hosting a series of safety summits 

in 2016. These meetings will identify best 

practices, new ways of looking at traffic safety and 

define building blocks for a robust behavioral 

safety program. 

These meetings serve as call to action for highway 

safety practitioners and all who are interested in 

saving livings and stopping injuries and crashes 

on our Nation’s roadways. Invited participants 

will include representatives from a wide range of 

disciplines, including traffic safety, public health, 

advocacy groups, industry, State governments, 

academic institutions, and other Federal Agencies. 

We look forward to your participation in this 

important dialog. The summits are scheduled for:

• February 5 – Sacramento, California (Holiday 

Inn – Rancho Cordoba) 

• February 10 – Cambridge, Massachusetts 

(Volpe Center)

• February 18 – Denver, Colorado (Aurora City 

Hall) 

• February 23 – Atlanta, Georgia (Georgia Dept. 

of Public Safety, Downtown)

• March 1 – Fort Worth, Texas (Federal 

Building, Downtown). 

For more information, contact Kristen Allen at 

Kristen.allen@dot.gov or 202-366-0251.
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 23

Lifesavers National Conference on Highway 

Safety Priorities, Long Beach, CA, April 3–5, 2016

(http://lifesaversconference.org/). The Lifesavers 

Conference brings together a combination of public 

health and safety professionals, researchers, 

volunteers, and practitioners who are committed to 

sharing best practices, research, and policy 

initiatives. Drawing more than 1,900 participants in 

2015, the annual Lifesavers conference provides a 

forum for the presentation of proven 

countermeasures and initiatives that address today’s 

critical highway safety problems. Topics for 

workshops include: 

• Adult Occupant Protection/Vehicle Technology

• Communications

• Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement

• Distracted and Impaired Driving 

• Motorcycle Safety

• Occupant Protection for Children

• Older Drivers

• Highway Safety Priorities

• Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety

• Teen Traffic Safety

National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 11–

15, 2016. This annual event is intended to raise 

awareness about the importance of traveling safely 

through work zones and paying attention to both 

driving activities as well as the locations of workers 

as the public passes through a work zone area. For 

this event, Ohio will host the national kick-off event, 

which will be held just outside of Toledo, in the 

vicinity of a large, complex widening project on I-75. 

This 32-mile project will add capacity and a number 

of roadway safety improvements including 

redesigned interchanges, roundabouts and other 

new features.

Attending TRB? Be sure to visit the FHWA Office of Safety at Booth 1223 in the TRB 

exhibit hall! 

If you are attending the 95th Annual Transportation Research Board meeting this January, be sure to stop by

booth 1223 in the exhibit hall to check out all the Office of Safety has to offer.

We will be featuring free materials from all of our program areas, including:

• The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

• Intersection Safety

• Local and Rural Road Safety

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

• Roadway Departure Safety

• The Roadway Safety Data Program

• Speed Management

We will be holding live demos of our offerings, such as:

• The new and improved Data Dashboard

• USLIMITS2

• Integrating Safety into the Project Planning 

Process

• The Noteworthy Practices database

• The SHSP online community of practice

• ...and much more!

Exhibit Hours will be as follows: 

Sunday, January 10, 4:00p.m.-7:00p.m.

Monday, January 11, 9:00a.m.-4:00p.m.

Tuesday, January 12, 9:00a.m.-4:00p.m.

For more information, please contact Tara McLoughlin at 202-366-2176 or tara.mcloughlin@dot.gov
Winter 2016: Volume 10 Issue 1 Safety Compass Newsletter • 24

The Safety Compass Newsletter

is a publication of the U.S. Department 

of Transportation, Federal Highway 

Administration.

The Federal Highway Administration 

publishes the Safety Compass 

newsletter three 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 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. 

FHWA has shared its FHWA Safety Vision at previous TRB Annual Meetings over the years.