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| U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration |
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Many of you in the safety community know Dick Powers as a leader in the area of roadside safety elements and hardware safety design. This year Dick was recognized for his many accomplishments in safety by receiving the FHWA Administrator’s Award. He promotes safety by providing national technical expertise to states on major roadside safety issues, by developing and serving as an instructor for the Roadside Design Course, and by providing leadership in the evolution of roadside safety hardware. Congratulations to Dick on this well deserved recognition, and thanks for your dedication and commitment to advancing highway safety on our Nation’s highway system!
Recognition Ceremony Held for the Winners of the 2003 National Roadway Safety Awards
Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters named 13 roadway safety projects in 12 states the winners of the National Highway Safety Awards at a ceremony held on November 19 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The awards, sponsored jointly by FHWA and the Roadway Safety Foundation, recognize initiatives that save lives by improving roadway design, operations, and overall planning.
The award winners included six state transportation departments, a regional transportation consortium, two counties, two cities, and a state police agency. The winners were selected from over 130 entries.
And the Winners are...
For more information on the National Roadway Safety Awards Program, contact Kathy Krause at 202-366-9265 or kathy.krause@fhwa.dot.gov.
Managing Pavement Edge Drop-offs to improve Safety and Reduce Tort Liability Workshop
On February 11, 2004, FHWA will sponsor a one-day, invitational workshop to discuss pavement treatment options to reduce and prevent crashes caused by unsafe pavement edge drop-offs. It will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center, College Park, Georgia (near the Atlanta Airport). Prominent speakers will present sessions on pavement drop-off issues including problem identification, research, tort liability, maintenance training, and state experiences with using the beveled edge when resurfacing. Participants can expect to become familiar with the pavement drop-off problem and techniques, both existing and those under development. If interested, please contact Harry W. Taylor at harry.taylor@fhwa.dot.gov or Frank Julian at frank.julian@fhwa.dot.gov
AASHTO Lead State Workshop
A national orientation meeting for states participating in the further implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan was conducted on December 3 and 4 at the Transportation Research Board, Washington DC.
Over 30 states attended one of the six safety emphasis area sessions and/or a session on the Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) process. Guides have been developed for each of these six emphasis areas: Run-off-road crashes, Trees in hazardous locations, Head-on collisions, Unsignalized intersection crashes, Aggressive driving and Suspended licenses. Each guide (NCHRP 500 Reports) includes a brief introduction, a general description of the problem, the strategies/countermeasures to address the problem, and a model implementation process. The integrated safety management process (NCHRP Report 501) comprises the suggested steps for advancing from crash data to integrated action plans. Together, the guides and management process provide a comprehensive set of tools for managing a coordinated highway safety program. Additional information on the AASHTO Strategic Safety Plan, its implementation, the guides and integrated safety management process is at: http://safety.transportation.org/about.aspx. For more information contact Rudy Umbs at 202-365-3285 or Dave Smith at 202-366-6614.
Balancing Preservation and Safety Needs — Assistance Offered for a New Tool
In today–s environment where needs far outweigh available resources, transportation officials need tools to assist them in making the right decisions. These tools should support a strategic approach to decision making, within the framework of a comprehensive planning process. That process must balance many competing goals and priorities, such as infrastructure preservation and safety enhancements. The Resurfacing Safety Resource Allocation Program (RSRAP) is a tool to assist transportation officials in making those difficult decisions.
RSRAP is a software tool that applies a resource allocation process, allowing transportation agencies to evaluate the trade-offs between competing goals of resurfacing roads with or without safety improvements. The RSRAP is anticipated to be an excellent planning tool to assist transportation agencies in their strategic highway safety planning process, and consequently in their overall planning process for all transportation needs.
The Midwest Research Institute (MRI) developed the RSRAP software tool, as documented in NCHRP Report 486, and can provide technical assistance to all states in applying RSRAP to the decision making process. Also, for two or three states, MRI has funding available to provide more comprehensive assistance through on-site visits. These services are provided through an NCHRP contract, at no cost to an agency. Please discuss this product with your state and contact Clayton Chen if your state is interested in using RSRAP or would like technical assistance from MRI.
The RSRAP software is available for use by transportation agencies via download through the RSRAP web site, www.rsrap.org <http://www.rsrap.org>, which is maintained by the Midwest Research Institute. The download is free-of-charge. The RSRAP web site also contains information on technical support for users of the software. Contact RSRAP Help Desk (support@rsrap.org <mailto:support@rsrap.org>) for questions in software download and technical assistance. For information on RSRAP, contact Clayton Chen at 202-366-4656 or clayton.chen@fhwa.dot.gov
All acceptance letters for breakaway sign supports have been posted to the Safety Web Site and can be found at: /roadway_dept/road_hardware/signsupports.htm
Revised version of Let’s Work Together To Save Lives — Life-Saving Strategies for America’s Highways, Publication Number FHWA-SA-04-001, printable version available on the safety website under "What's New," http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/media/lifesavers2.htm
A new program area has been added to the Safety Web Site
The newly developed Geometric Design program area has been added to the safety website, http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov, and can be found under Professional Resources/Programs (http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/geometric/index.htm). At this initial stage, information covered under the Geometric Design program area includes Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM), Roadside Safety Analysis Program(RSAP), and Resurfacing Safety Resource Allocation Program (RSRAP). The site includes program status, planned activities, technical assistance as well as helpful links to available software, references, reports / documents, workshops, and training opportunities. For more information contact Clayton Chen at 202-366-4656 or clayton.chen@fhwa.dot.gov
Intersection Safety Resource CD — a comprehensive compendium of resources and documents that practitioners can use in intersection design and operations.
Six new NCHRP Safety Implementation Guides — these build on the six already available. See http://www.safety.transportation.org
Road Safety Audits Brochure — an overview of road safety audits, their benefits, and keys to success when implementing this technique to improve the safety of our roads.
Updated Road Safety Audit Website — the current road safety audit website (www.roadwaysafetyaudits.org) is being modified to add new content and redesigned to be more user-friendly.
Road Safety Audit Guidelines and Checklist — These guidelines will contain information on the basic concepts, procedures, methods, audit team composition, and how to start a road safety audit program. The checklist will present items to consider when conducting an audit.
Workshops on Nighttime Visibility of Traffic Signs: Summary of Workshop Findings (Publication Number FHWA - SA- 03-002) — the workshops were conducted to present the current research findings on traffic sign retroreflectivity prior to developing a proposed rule on minimum levels. Among the key findings of the workshops are that public agencies want the MUTCD to provide several methods that can be used to address minimum retroreflectivity levels of traffic signs.
Section 402 Funding Guide – a brochure detailing available safety funding programs. Included will be a checklist of due dates, documentation, and certifications required for incentive and penalty programs. Formation and production subject to reauthorization passage.
Safety Training Resource Guide – The STRG CD includes a user-friendly database of roadway safety courses and education resources, and includes several papers about roadway safety training; STRG will be especially useful for training coordinators and developers.
Trees in Hazardous Locations video – the intent of the video will be to heighten public awareness of the frequency and severity of tree crashes and what highway agencies can do to reduce the toll.
New Approaches to Highway Safety Analysis Course – this course is intended to provide an understanding of the Highway Safety Improvement Program process, safety engineering principles and human factors issues related to traffic and road safety, and the latest methods for identifying collision causes and selecting cost-effective safety improvements. The course was previously piloted as "Fundamentals of Highway Safety Improvement" and has been revised to reflect the input received.
USLIMITS – the initial release of a web based expert system to assist practitioners in setting credible and consistent speed.
Speed Zoning Brochure – explains in non-technical language how speed limits are set and basis for the 85th percentile speed in establishing reasonable and safe speed limits.
Traffic Calming CD – a compilation of information resources and instructional material on traffic calming measures for reducing traffic speed and enhancing the street environment for non-motorists.
Speed Management Train the Trainer Workshops – a series of training sessions to equip a team of transportation and safety professionals in each State to conduct Speed Management workshops that address engineering, education, and enforcement issues in their State and local communities.
Plate Transition – This CD will demonstrate the California and Maryland designs for a steel plate transition from a portable concrete barrier to a permanent concrete barrier. Also, it will demonstrate the performance limits of W-beam transitions from portable concrete barrier to a permanent concrete barrier.
Managing Pavement Edge Drop-off Workshop Video – This CD will document the proceedings of the workshop.
Optimal PCB – This CD presents the findings on research to simulate and optimize various designs of portable concrete barrier connections, lengths, and other parameters.
Guardrail Height – Due to road resurfacing and repaving, the height of guardrail barriers can be significantly altered. In some cases, when a new layer is added on top of the original road surface, the height of the guardrail can be lowered by as much as three inches. This could reduce the effectiveness of the barrier in containing and redirect the vehicle. This CD will present recommendation on minimum W-beam guardrail height for safe performance.
Guidebook – A series of guidebooks will be completed for use by local and tribal transportation agencies. Each guidebook will be a revision of an existing technical publication and will be accompanied by a non-linear Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for training purposes. The first guidebook will be based on the Road Safety Fundamentals guidebook, which was developed by the Cornell Local Roads Program.
Saving Lives - A Vital Goal
Vision: Improving Transportation for a Strong America.
Goal: To continually improve highway safety by reducing the number of highway fatalities and injuries including large trucks. Ensuring safe travel on highways is a guiding principle throughout the FHWA.
Focus: High-risk areas through technical assistance, research, training, data analysis, and public information as well as through compliance and education. The FHWA is working with safety partners to heighten safety awareness within the highway community, business, industry, and the Public.
Top Priorities: Roadway Departure, Intersections, and Pedestrians
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Dates |
Location |
Event |
|---|---|---|
| January 11 –15 |
Washington, DC |
Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting http://gulliver.trb.org/ |
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January 30 – February 3 | San Antonio, TX |
American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) Annual Convention and Traffic Expo www.atssa.com |
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February 11 | Atlanta, GA |
Managing Pavement Edge Drop-offs to improve Safety and Reduce Tort Liability |
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March 28 – 30 | San Diego, CA |
Lifesavers National Conference http://www.lifesaversconference.org/ |
| March 28 – 31 |
San Diego, CA |
ITE-mid year meeting http://www.ite.org/ |
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April 4 – 9 | Orlando, FL |
National Association of County Engineers (NACE) www.countyengineers.org |
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April 4 – 10 | Nationwide |
National Work Zone Awareness Week |
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April 7 | Paris, New York, etc. |
World Health Day 2004, focus on Road Safety, an international event http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2004/en/ |
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April 22 – 23 | Washington, DC |
George Washington University, AASHTO/AGC/ARTBA Task Force 13 - Standardization of Highway and Bridge Hardware |
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April 26 – 28 | San Antonio, TX |
ITS America Annual Meeting &Expo www.ITSA.org |
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May 17–19 | Madison, WI |
University of Wisconsin, National Highway Visibility (NHV) Conference http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/nhv |
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June 8 – 11 | Monterey, CA |
International Association of Chiefs of Police Mid-year Highway Safety Committee Meeting http://iacp.expoexchange.com/ |
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July 25 – 29 | Nashville, TN |
Traffic Records Forum http://www.nsc.org/ |
| July 31 – Aug. 4 | Bernalillo, NM |
National LTAP Meeting http://www.ltapt2.org/ |
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August 1 – 4 | Lake Buena Vista, FL |
ITE Annual Meeting &Exhibit http://www.ite.org/ |
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August 28 – September 3 | Nationwide |
National Stop on Red Week http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov |
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September 10 – 17 | New Orleans, LA |
National Safety Council Annual Congress &Expo http://www.nsc.org/ |
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September 12 – 15 | Atlanta, GA |
American Public Works Association (APWA) http://www.apwa.net/ |
| September 16 – 21 |
Philadelphia, PA |
AASHTO Annual Meeting www.aashto.org |
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September 26 – 29 | Honolulu, HI |
Governors Highway Safety Association www.statehighwaysafety.org |
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October 10 | Nationwide |
Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day www.brakesonfatalities.org |
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November 13 – 17 | Los Angeles, CA |
International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference http://iacp.expoexchange.com/ |
For a complete listing of FHWA Safety Programs and Resources Visit
our website at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov
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