U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
MAP-21 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
May 19, 2016, FHWA Office of Safety
On July 6, 2012, the President signed into law the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) (P.L. 112-141), which created a Special Rule for Older Drivers and Pedestrians. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (P.L. 114-94) continued that Special Rule. The purpose of this guidance is to clarify: 1) the circumstances in which the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Special Rule applies to States; 2) which information States should report to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); and 3) how States should implement the Special Rule. This guidance supersedes guidance FHWA issued on February 13, 2013, related to the Older Drivers and Pedestrians Special Rule under MAP-21.
23 U.S.C. 148(g)(2) provides:
If traffic fatalities and serious injuries per capita for drivers and pedestrians over the age of 65 in a State increases during the most recent 2-year period for which data are available, that State shall be required to include, in the subsequent Strategic Highway Safety Plan of the State, strategies to address the increases in those rates, taking into account the recommendations included in the publication of the Federal Highway Administration entitled 'Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians' (FHWA-RD-01-103), and dated May 2001, or as subsequently revised and updated.
In June 2014, FHWA revised and renamed its Handbook to incorporate new research findings and treatments to improve the safety of the transportation system for the aging population. Accordingly, for purposes of implementation of this Special Rule, States should refer to FHWA's Handbook for Designing Roadways for the Aging Population (FHWA-SA-14-103), available at: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/older_users/handbook/aging_driver_handbook_2014_final%20.pdf.
The Department of Transportation has developed performance measures, as required in 23 U.S.C. 150(d), and provided the definition of "serious injury" as it relates to those measures. A serious injury is defined as any crash involving a motor vehicle traveling on a public roadway that is coded "Suspected Serious Injury (A)" using the KABCO injury classification scale (23 CFR 490.207(c)). States that do not currently use KABCO may use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) serious injuries conversion tables to determine the equivalent definition and attributes for their crash database. States will have 36 months to report serious injuries in accordance with the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) 4th Edition definition and attribute for "Suspected Serious Injury (A)" (23 CFR 490.207(c)). States should use existing reporting systems, crash data, and forms. States will not need to make any changes to their crash data systems based on this Special Rule.
To determine whether the Special Rule applies in your State, you should consider older drivers and older pedestrians collectively. If the rate of traffic fatalities and serious injuries for drivers and pedestrians 65 years of age and older (hereafter referred to as "older drivers and pedestrians") in a State increases during the most recent 2-year period, then the Older Drivers Special Rule applies.
Specifically, the State should–
This approach allows for data stability (by covering multiple years) while still providing a recent accurate trend (by using the most recent available data). Attachment 1 provides details of the calculation. Attachment 2 provides the latest population figures (65 years of age and older), in thousands, which States should use in making their own calculations. Beginning in 2017, FHWA anticipates providing updated population figures to the States by March 1 of each year.
When determining whether a rate has increased (and whether the Special Rule applies), a State should round to the nearest tenth of each of the two rates being compared. The Special Rule applies only if the increase is sufficiently large to show up at this level of rounding. For example:
The State of Lincoln's 5-year average rate of fatalities and serious injuries per capita for older drivers and pedestrians was 202.12 for the period ending 2012 and 202.14 for the period ending 2014. Rounded to the nearest tenths, these rates are 202.1 and 202.1, respectively. Therefore the Special Rule would not apply to the State of Lincoln.
The State of Jefferson's 5-year average rate of fatalities and serious injuries per capita for older drivers and pedestrians for the periods was 202.30 for the period ending 2012 and 202.39 for the period ending 2014. Rounded to the nearest tenths, these rates are 202.3 and 202.4, respectively. Therefore, the Special Rule would apply to the State of Jefferson.
States must submit their annual HSIP reports to FHWA by August 31, per 23 U.S.C. 148(h)(2) and 23 CFR 924.15(a). In those reports, States should include the calculations described above, and should verify whether the Older Drivers and Pedestrians Special Rule applies in the State.
Report Date for Older Driver Special Rule | 5-Year Moving Average of Fatalities and Serious Injuries for Drivers and Pedestrians 65 years of age and older. |
August 31, 2016 | 2008-2012 to 2010-2014 |
August 31, 2017 | 2009-2013 to 2011-2015 |
August 31, 2018 | 2010-2014 to 2012-2016 |
August 31, 2019 | 2010-2014 to 2012-2016 |
August 31, 2020 | 2012-2016 to 2014-2018 |
If a State determines that the Special Rule applies, the State must include, in its subsequent SHSP, strategies to address the increase in the older driver and older pedestrian fatal and serious injuries rate. In considering possible strategies, FHWA encourages States to take into account the treatments listed in the 2014 FHWA publication, "Handbook for Designing Roadways for the Aging Population" and any subsequently revised and updated versions. The State also should conduct a secondary analysis to determine whether the increase is attributable to driver fatalities and injuries, pedestrian fatalities and injuries, or a combination of the two. This helps a State determine whether the emphasis on safety programs and countermeasures should be focused on drivers and/or pedestrians.
Calculate Rate of Fatal (F) and Serious Injuries (SI) per capita for Drivers and Pedestrians 65 years of age and older for year ending in 2014 (2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010) and 2012 (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008). |
For purposes of this calculation, the term "Annual rate, year XXXX" (or "AR, year XXXX") means the following: F + SI for drivers and pedestrians 65 years of age and older, year XXXX 1. Calculate Rate for 2014 Calculate the following to two decimal places, then round to the nearest tenth: AR, 2014 + AR, 2013 + + AR, 2012 +AR, 2011 +AR,2010 2. Calculate Rate for 2012: Calculate the following to two decimal places, then round to the nearest tenth: AR, 2012 + AR, 2011 + AR, 2010 + AR, 2009 +AR,2008 If the rate for 2014 (under step #1) exceeds the rate for 2012 (under step #2), then the Special Rule applies. |
STATE | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 639 | 649 | 658 | 674 | 700 | 722 | 747 |
Alaska | 48 | 52 | 55 | 58 | 62 | 66 | 70 |
Arizona | 864 | 867 | 887 | 923 | 971 | 1,019 | 1,071 |
Arkansas | 404 | 413 | 420 | 429 | 441 | 454 | 465 |
California | 4,116 | 4,143 | 4,269 | 4,398 | 4,599 | 4,794 | 4,990 |
Colorado | 512 | 534 | 552 | 575 | 611 | 645 | 680 |
Connecticut | 477 | 487 | 508 | 515 | 532 | 545 | 556 |
Delaware | 121 | 126 | 129 | 134 | 141 | 147 | 154 |
District of Columbia | 71 | 70 | 69 | 70 | 72 | 74 | 74 |
Florida | 3,183 | 3,199 | 3,273 | 3,359 | 3,509 | 3,644 | 3,791 |
Georgia | 983 | 1,011 | 1,034 | 1,076 | 1,139 | 1,191 | 1,249 |
Hawaii | 190 | 189 | 198 | 203 | 210 | 220 | 228 |
Idaho | 182 | 185 | 197 | 204 | 211 | 223 | 235 |
Illinois | 1,572 | 1,596 | 1,615 | 1,643 | 1,696 | 1,740 | 1,788 |
Indiana | 813 | 828 | 843 | 856 | 889 | 916 | 941 |
Iowa | 444 | 444 | 453 | 458 | 470 | 480 | 491 |
Kansas | 367 | 367 | 379 | 382 | 394 | 406 | 418 |
Kentucky | 563 | 570 | 580 | 594 | 614 | 636 | 653 |
Louisiana | 539 | 554 | 560 | 571 | 598 | 607 | 631 |
Maine | 199 | 205 | 211 | 217 | 226 | 236 | 243 |
Maryland | 679 | 691 | 710 | 732 | 763 | 794 | 822 |
Massachusetts | 870 | 894 | 906 | 922 | 961 | 990 | 1,016 |
Michigan | 1,301 | 1,338 | 1,366 | 1,388 | 1,443 | 1,487 | 1,531 |
Minnesota | 651 | 669 | 687 | 701 | 730 | 755 | 778 |
Mississippi | 369 | 375 | 383 | 387 | 403 | 414 | 427 |
Missouri | 802 | 822 | 843 | 855 | 884 | 908 | 932 |
Montana | 136 | 141 | 147 | 151 | 159 | 165 | 170 |
Nebraska | 240 | 241 | 248 | 250 | 257 | 265 | 271 |
Nevada | 295 | 307 | 327 | 340 | 359 | 381 | 401 |
New Hampshire | 169 | 178 | 180 | 185 | 194 | 203 | 209 |
New Jersey | 1,150 | 1,169 | 1,191 | 1,207 | 1,250 | 1,284 | 1,312 |
New Mexico | 262 | 265 | 275 | 283 | 294 | 307 | 318 |
New York | 2,605 | 2,617 | 2,624 | 2,665 | 2,759 | 2,830 | 2,896 |
North Carolina | 1,133 | 1,189 | 1,240 | 1,276 | 1,347 | 1,405 | 1,461 |
North Dakota | 94 | 95 | 98 | 98 | 101 | 103 | 105 |
Ohio | 1,572 | 1,601 | 1,626 | 1,648 | 1,708 | 1,752 | 1,797 |
Oklahoma | 491 | 495 | 510 | 517 | 536 | 548 | 562 |
Oregon | 504 | 515 | 535 | 553 | 582 | 605 | 634 |
Pennsylvania | 1,908 | 1,945 | 1,966 | 1,982 | 2,042 | 2,090 | 2,134 |
Rhode Island | 150 | 152 | 152 | 154 | 159 | 163 | 167 |
South Carolina | 595 | 619 | 635 | 655 | 695 | 725 | 762 |
South Dakota | 116 | 117 | 118 | 120 | 121 | 125 | 129 |
Tennessee | 816 | 836 | 860 | 879 | 921 | 950 | 987 |
Texas | 2,467 | 2,535 | 2,619 | 2,708 | 2,838 | 2,967 | 3,096 |
Utah | 245 | 251 | 251 | 258 | 272 | 283 | 295 |
Vermont | 87 | 89 | 91 | 94 | 98 | 103 | 107 |
Virginia | 936 | 955 | 980 | 1,010 | 1,062 | 1,105 | 1,147 |
Washington | 783 | 801 | 830 | 861 | 908 | 951 | 993 |
West Virginia | 285 | 287 | 299 | 301 | 311 | 320 | 329 |
Wisconsin | 748 | 760 | 780 | 792 | 824 | 849 | 876 |
Wyoming | 66 | 67 | 70 | 72 | 75 | 78 | 80 |
U.S. Census American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates for population 65 and older. Supporting documentation on code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing can be found on the American Community Survey (ACS) website (http://www.census.gov/acs/www) in the Data and Documentation section. Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the ACS website in the Methodology section at http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/methodology.html. Although the ACS produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, it is the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program that produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, States, counties, cities and towns and estimates of housing units for States and counties.