Navigating the Traffic Safety Topics of Safe System Approach, Equity in Traffic Safety, and Traffic Safety Culture
The Safe System Approach, Equity, and Traffic Safety Culture: These traffic safety topics underpin current approaches to traffic safety management. Each supports the vision of Toward Zero Deaths. A transportation system free of fatalities and serious injuries. That’s why we’ve added new sections to the TZD website to explore each topic. Safe System Approach (SSA): […]
USDOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy Progress Report
On February 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a progress report on the first year of the National Roadway Safety Strategy. The report outlines the Department’s comprehensive approach to its goal of significantly reducing serious injuries and deaths on our nation’s highways, roads, and streets. As Allies in Action with this strategy, we wholeheartedly support […]
Spotlight on the Michigan DOT Safe System Approach
Many traffic safety professionals have wondered how the Safe System Approach fits in with existing safety programs, Toward Zero Deaths, and Traffic Safety Culture. Here’s an example from the Michigan Department of Transportation on why the Safe System Approach is an important part of their safety program. Don’t miss the paragraph at the end that […]
Maryland Traffic Slows Down Following Anti-Speeding Effort
At the AASHTO Committee on Safety Meeting in April 2022, Tim Kerns and Vivian Berra Figuereo of the Maryland Department of Transportation reported on a speed management demonstration project in Bishopville, Maryland. The project was funded by a grant from GHSA, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF). The project combined enforcement, engineering, and public outreach, resulting in a 9% decrease in average speeds. During […]
New Zealand Speed Management Guide
At the 2023 TRB Annual Meeting in January, Shane Turner presented to the ACS10 Transportation Safety Management Systems committee, informing them of New Zealand and Australia’s approach to speed management. Dr. Turner, the Technical Director for Safe Systems at Abley (a transportation planning and engineering firm based in New Zealand), discussed updates to the guide […]
Delaware Department of Transportation: Context-Sensitive Speed Limit Setting
The Delaware Department of Transportation is adjusting its approach to speed limit setting.
GHSA Rural Roads Report
In September 2022, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) published a report on traffic safety on rural roads throughout the United States. The report includes many examples of promising practices for traffic safety efforts, especially related to traffic safety culture and behavioral safety issues. Additionally, the report shares examples of how different agencies are addressing […]
Organizational Readiness for the Safe System Approach
Montana State University and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) partnered to share their take on readiness for adopting the Safe System Approach and growing safety culture – an initiative where Washington is at the forefront. The article, published in July 2022, shares Washington’s implementation of the approach, and the lessons they’ve learned along the […]
Equity and Traffic Safety at Caltrans
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) began developing their groundwork for safety and equity to come together. Over the past two years, Caltrans has made strides forward in this goal, starting with establishing a new Division of Safety Programs to build California’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) on four safety-focused principles: Double Down on What Works Accelerate Advanced Technology […]
How Ohio DOT Advanced Equity in Traffic Safety with HSIP Funds
In Fall 2021, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) adjusted its Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) process to include with equity components in scoring. Their HSIP process now integrates crash data with correlated U.S. Census data. Based on ODOT research, in Ohio, fatal and serious injury crashes are overrepresented by 9.8% within Census block groups that have a poverty rate (population with income […]
