Road Safety Fact Sheet
Safety: A FHWA Vital Few - Fact Sheet
How Safe is America's Roadway System?
In 2007, 41,059 people died on our Nation's roads.
How Significant is the Roadway Safety Problem?
Roadway safety is a serious, national public health issue. In 2007, there were 41,059.
Out of the total 41,059 fatalities in 2007, there were:
- 24,147 road departure fatalities (59%)
- 8,657 intersection fatalities (21%)
- 4,654 pedestrian fatalities (11%)
Of the 41,059 fatal crashes in 2007, there were:
- 13,040 speed related crashes (32%)
What is the FHWA Doing to Solve This National Safety Problem?
FHWA provides national safety leadership through: conducting innovative safety research; setting national highway safety guidelines; and promoting proven or promising safety technologies.
FHWA is actively pursuing improved roadway safety through a multi-faceted approach in the fields of engineering, education, enforcement, and coordination with public safety agencies (police and fire services).
FHWA also partners with a variety of organizations that are interested in improving roadway safety including: the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), State Departments of Transportation, the National Association of County Engineers (NACE), the American Public Works Association (APWA) the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the American Automobile Association (AAA), the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), and National Association of Regional Councils (NARC).
Engineering
On the engineering front, FHWA both conducts research and supports private sector research into a variety of innovative design features that create safer roads, intersections and pedestrian crossings.
Road safety design features that help to reduce road departures and minimize the severity of roadway crashes include: rumble strips, retroreflective signs, and forgiving roadside hardware (i.e. guardrails and breakaway poles), skid resistance pavements, and all-weather pavement markings.
Intersection safety design features that make intersections safer for drivers and pedestrians include: traffic signal timing, improved signage, exclusive turn lanes, and roundabouts.
Pedestrian safety design features that create safer pedestrian crossings for all pedestrians, including those with disabilities include: pedestrian-signal timings and pedestrian signals; improved lighting to enhance visibility; truncated domes for blind pedestrians; and refuge islands on a median.
In addition, FHWA is currently developing the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) software -- an innovative road safety evaluation software that marshals available safety knowledge into a useful form for highway planners and designers.
FHWA is also actively promoting the use of proven or promising safety technologies that will help improve roadway safety including: rumble strips, retroreflective signs and pavement markings, and roundabouts. As the federal agency responsible for setting national highway safety guidelines, FHWA issued a technical advisory on rumble strips; is working on national guidelines for minimum sign retroreflectivity levels; and published a comprehensive information guide on roundabouts.
Education
FHWA's safety program has a strong educational component. Through a variety of educational tools and workshops, FHWA is dedicated to improving public safety awareness and updating highway engineers and roadway planners on the latest safety research.
To this end, FHWA has funded and sponsored numerous videos, handbooks, websites, multilingual brochures, CDs, manuals, computer modeling software, clearinghouses and training courses. Although these educational materials and courses are too many to detail here, a few are listed below.
For example, FHWA funded and sponsored the Pedestrian Safety Roadshow (PSRS), a four-hour educational workshop that is designed for use by community leaders, concerned citizens, and business leaders. The purpose of PSRS is twofold: to assist communities in developing their own approach to pedestrian safety and to increase awareness of pedestrian safety concerns.
Also, to help roadway planners and engineers apply the latest research and technologies on the needs of older drivers and pedestrians, FHWA published The Older Driver Highway Design Handbook and also offer a one-day workshop.
Enforcement
As part of our comprehensive safety program, FHWA engineers work closely with state highway engineers and law enforcement officials to identify appropriate engineering safety countermeasures for high risk locations and for new roads. Working with state and local law enforcement is one of the ways that FHWA makes sure that roadway safety is always a top priority.
Partnership Activities
FHWA believes that partnerships create synergy and are very important to improving roadway safety. FHWA participates in roadway safety partnerships with state and local officials, concerned citizens, local business leaders, schools and youth organizations. The partnership activities listed below are just a few of the safety partnerships that FHWA participates in. More information on FHWA partnership activities can be found on the FHWA Office of Safety web site (http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov).
FHWA's top partnership is working with AASHTO on the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The goal is to reduce the annual number of highway deaths by 9,000 by 2008 to a rate of 1.0 (down from the current rate of 1.5). This will accomplished through improved safety in 22 key areas concerning infrastructure, vehicles, drivers, and emergency medical services (EMS). FHWA's role is that of providing national leadership, direction, and the development and demonstration of new safety innovations, technologies, and programs. (For more information, go to: http://safety.transportation.org).
FHWA is also currently partnering with the Roadway Safety Foundation (www.roadwaysafety.org) on two campaigns: 1) A Safer Roads: Building Safety into Your Drive Public Information and Education program, and 2) The bi-ennial National Roadway Safety Awards (www.roadwaysafetyawards.org).
The successful National Work-Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse website (http://wzsafety.tamu.edu) is a good example of what can be accomplished when FHWA partners with other roadway safety groups. It was created in a partnership by FHWA and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) handles the site's day-to-day operations. The National Utility Contractors Associations (NUCA) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) assist ARTBA in marketing and publicizing the clearinghouse.
Started in 1995 by FHWA, Stop Red Light Running (SRLR) is a national initiative to improve intersection safety by reducing the number of red light running incidents. The American Trauma Society became a partner with FHWA in 1998. Over 200 communities, including local law enforcement departments, are currently part of t his nationwide safety program.
In addition, FHWA is a founding member of the Safety Conscious Planning (SCP) Working Group. This group is a national organization dedicated to providing state and metropolitan planners with “best
practices' and opportunities to integrate safety in the planning process. Other partners in the SCP Working Group include: AASHTO, TRB, GHSA, AAA, AMPO, NARC, ITE, and FHWA's DOT sister agencies -- NHTSA, FTA, and FMCSA. For more information on SCP publications and projects there are two web site addresses -- http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/circulars/ec025.pdf and http://rip.trb.org/browse/dproject.asp?n=6691.
The extensive implementation of yellow-green fluorescent signs around heavily traveled pedestrian crosswalks at school zones, hospitals and airports, is a visible, day-to-day result of successful FHWA and local community partnerships. To improve pedestrian safety through the use of this new pedestrian sign, FHWA partnered with local police departments, schools and hospitals. This new sign has proven to be more visible than the standard, non-fluorescent yellow sign that had been previously used to warn motorists of pedestrian crossings.
Who Is Responsible for Roadway Safety?
Everyone. We all are responsible for driving, walking, and biking safely on our Nation's roads. The engineers and planners have the responsibility to make sure that roads are designed and operating properly -- with safety for all road users in mind. Drivers and pedestrians have the responsibility to always be alert and obey the traffic rules. Passengers should always buckle up and act responsibly. The police and the courts have the responsibility to make sure that the traffic and pedestrian laws are enforced. Public safety agencies have the responsibility of responding to and securing crash locations and enforcing traffic laws. Local communities and county and state governments need to allocate funding for safe roads and increase public awareness about road safety. Everyone should take responsibility for roadway safety.
10 Tips for Driving and Walking Safely
- It's your responsibility to drive and walk safely so always be alert and attentive to the motorists and pedestrians around you.
- Never drink and drive. And don't let friends drive drunk.
- Always buckle up. The life you save could be your own.
- Obey traffic signals and signs. They are there to keep you and others safe.
- Make sure you have plenty of time to get to your destination so you don't feel pressured to speed or disobey traffic signals.
- Don't give into road rage. Your life and the lives of your passengers are more important than angrily reacting to an irresponsible driver.
- Pedestrians should always wear light-colored or reflective clothing at night to be more visible to drivers.
- Before you take a left turn at an intersection, make sure it is safe to do so. (More than one-third of all deaths to vehicle occupants occur in side-impact crashes. Most of these occur at intersections.)
- Obey the speed limits and make sure you drive carefully through intersections and work zones.
- Don't drive when you are drowsy. If you are drowsy, pull over at a rest area and take a nap before proceeding.
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