Safe System Approach
The Safe System Approach to road safety has proven to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries around the world. Safe systems principles are now being incorporated into traffic safety management throughout the United States. These principles correspond with the Toward Zero Deaths vision for zero fatalities on our nation’s roadways.
Everyone with a role in transportation shares in the stewardship of traffic safety. With the AASHTO Committee on Safety, Toward Zero Deaths is working to educate traffic safety and transportation practitioners on safety principle-based planning, design, construction, and operations.
Project Life Cycle Framework
Safe System principles should be integrated throughout the project life cycle, across all functions in a department of transportation (DOT). In the DOT’s organizational culture, safety is a value, a priority, and a responsibility that belongs to everyone.
AASHTO is working to develop resources tailored to specific DOT processes and functions throughout the project life cycle. The Project Life Cycle chart shows some simple examples of how each DOT function can apply safety principles to their day-to-day work.
Project Life Cycle Components
Example Activities
Planning
- Incorporate SSA into long range, regional, and corridor planning processes
- Prioritize vulnerable user safety investment
Project Development
- Consider kinetic energy in speed decisions
- Minimize impact speeds and angles in intersection design
- Consider SSA in typical sections, signal timing plans, lighting designs
Construction
- Safe accessibility for vulnerable users
- Ensure change order work still reflect SSA principles
- Traffic control plans
Maintenance / Operations
- Managing speeds, including speed limit setting policies
- Facilitating crash response and post-crash care
- Coordination with law enforcement/EMS
The following resources demonstrate how to incorporate safety in all transportation disciplines and throughout the project delivery cycle. These resources are designed to help practitioners take action, both within their organizations and externally with other safety partners. We’ll continue to update this page with resources as they become available. Please contact us if you have an idea for a noteworthy example to share.
Resources
Safe System Planning & Design Workshop
12/7/2023
AASHTO Committee on Safety Meeting April 2022
Safe System Approach for States
Kerry Wilcoxon, Arizona DOT
Sharpen our Focus on the Safe System Approach
Mike Griffith, FHWA
Behavioral Safety in the Safe System Approach
Russ Martin, GHSA
Safe System Approach: Are we ready?
Nic Ward
Safe System Approach 2 Implementation Challenges & Needs
Moderated by Kerry Wilcoxon, Arizona DOT
Robert Peterson
Ana Fill
Comparison of Safe System Assessment Methods
Doug Harwood, Harwood Road Safety
Partner Resources
FHWA Safe System Approach Resources
The FHWA website provides foundational materials about the Safe System Approach and links to additional resources
ITE Safe System Approach Resources
The ITE website provides background information on the Safe System Approach, case studies, and links to noteworthy resources.
Road to Zero Coalition Safe System Approach Working Group
The Road to Zero Coalition website links to engagement opportunities, implementation tools, examples and case studies.
GHSA: The Role of Behavior in a Safe System
GHSA published a report and recorded webinars on the role of behavior in the Safe System Approach.
FHWA Vision Zero Community of Practice
The website offers technical resources to assist local communities in reaching their goal of zero traffic fatalities through the adoption and implementation of Vision Zero.
UNC Highway Safety Research Center
Safe Systems Synthesis: An International Scan for Domestic Application Final Report 2018
UNC Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety
Safe Systems: Guiding Principles and International Applications
UNC Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety
Vision for a Safer Road System
