CE 552 - A collection of safety references
A. Highway safety data sources (and selected summaries)
Students, as you find valued additions for the list, please let us know.
Crash data from DOT, NHSTA, OTHERS
System data through 2005
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSFAnn/TSF2005.pdf
Iowa - Governors’ Transportation Safety Bureau
Statistics, future plans and more
http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/gtsb/index.shtml
Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
From National Center for Statistics and Analysis (part of NHTSA)
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/sds.html
The above contains information on state data programs, Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES), and much more.
Iowa – Safety data: Safety data sources, high accident locations, and more
http://www.dot.state.ia.us/crashanalysis/
2005 FHWA report on Crash Cost
The following document is a research report with the most current assessments. Several Tables in the Appendix for different speed other conditions
http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/05051/05051.pdf
NHTSA annually collects crash statistics from 50 states and the District of Columbia to produce the annual report on traffic fatality trends. Summaries of the FARS report are available on the NHTSA website at:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2003/Assess02.pdf
The data below is from an earlier report, which doesn’t have an obvious update on the web. However, the main website page can be accessed at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/
One summary from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) shows that, in 2002:
· Motorcycle fatalities increased for the fifth year in a row following years of steady improvement. A total of 3,244 riders died, up slightly from 3,197 in 2001. It was the smallest increase in motorcycle fatalities in five years. However, deaths among riders 50 and over increased 26 percent.
· Alcohol-related fatalities have been rising steadily since 1999. However, deaths in low alcohol-involvement crashes (.01-.07 blood alcohol concentration (BAC)) dropped 5.5 percent from 2001 to 2,401 deaths.
· Fatalities from large truck crashes dropped from 5,111 in 2001 to 4,897 in 2002, a 4.2 percent decline.
· Fatalities among children seven and under dropped to historic low levels. In 2002, 968 children seven and under were killed, down from 1,059 in 2001.
· Pedestrian deaths also declined, to 4,808, a 1.9 percent drop from 2001.
· In fatal crashes between passenger cars and LTVs (light trucks and vans, a category that includes SUVs), the occupants of the car were more often fatally injured. When a car was struck in the side by an LTV, the fatality was 20.8 times more likely to have been in the passenger car. In a head-on collision between a car and an LTV, the fatality was 3.3 times more likely to be among car occupants.
National Transportation Library - safety section; main address directs reader to many more aspects of transportation
http://ntl.bts.gov/faq/autoaccstat.html
Older driver statistics - summary from NHTSA – to 2004
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2005/2005TSF/810_622/810622.htm
Older Driver Facts
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/fourthlevel/pro_res_olderdriver_facts.htm
Work Zone facts
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/fourthlevel/pro_res_wzs_facts.htm
B. Major publications and Other resources
Safety data overview -
http://tmip.fhwa.dot.gov/clearinghouse/docs/safety/chapter4.stm
Students read Part 1 and 2, up to GIS discussion section.
This is only a portion of the entire document. If you replace the chapter number in the above URL you could go to other important chapters.
General comment to students TMIP(i.e.Transportation Modeling Improvement Program) for transportation planning data - keep it in mind for other needs in addition to the above.
NCHRP Synthesis 295, Statistical Methods in Highway Safety Analysis;
A synthesis of Highway Practice,
Bhagwhat Persaud, Transportation Research Board, 2001
http://trb.org/publications/nchrp/nchrp_syn_295.pdf
NCHRP Synthesis 299 Recent Geometric Design Research for Improved
Safety and Operations, Kay Fitzpatrick and Mark Woolridge,
Transportation Research Board, 2001
http://trb.org/publications/nchrp/nchrp_syn_299.pdf
NCHRP Synthesis 336, Road Safety Audits,
Eugene Wilson, Marty Lipinski, 2004
http://trb.org/publications/nchrp/nchrp_syn_336.pdf
Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices - 2003 Edition
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/
Roadside Improvements for Local Streets and Highways, 1986
Includes areas of design and operation as they relate to the potential for crash reductions. Although 20 years old, the document can provide insight regarding the concerns and effectiveness of roadside improvements.
Today we have the Roadside Design Guide (2002. Students have not been asked to purchase the document for the CE 552 course, although it is very important for complete roadway design. AASHTO provides (sells) this Guide.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tfhrc/safety/pubs/00002/intro.htm
Powerpoint on Roadside Design Guide The following site contains a powerpoint of the basic elements in the Roadside Design Guide
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TA/Operations/LAG/RDG/2002RDGPPT.htm
Software background for the TTI program: Roadside Safety Analysis Program. The following shows details of how to install and use the RSAP software, but does not provide background of its purpose or structure. More information should be available elsewhere. (2002). This software package is connected to the Roadside Design Guide (2002)
http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/nchrp/rsap_users_manual.pdf
NCHRP Report 486 - Systemwide Impact of Safety and Traffic Operations Design Decisions for 3R Projects, by Harwood, etal. ,2003
Download: Complete Report or Report Parts; Part 1: Front Matter, Chapters 1-7, Part 2: Sections 1-6, Section 7, Sections 8-9, References, Glossary of Acronyms, Appendixes A-C, Appendix D, Appendixes E-F
Although a 2003 report, note where the safety improvement impacts were reported, and when. Look over Table of Contents and pages 20-24.
Other Transportation Research Board publications
http://www.trb.org/trb/publications/publications.asp
Human factors
Very good resource on human factors elements
http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/reactiontime.html
The following reference from 1997 focuses on Human factors of Older drivers http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/97095/index.html
Roadway Safety: Federal Highway Administration
The FHWA Safety Homepage leads to many topics in the current spotlight. These include red light cameras, school routes, safety audits and more. The states’ high priority locations are accessible from this site.
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/
AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan
The Strategic Highway Safety plan is essentially an FHWA plan. Several reports have been released. Check on NCHRP 500 for these implementation guides. They are available electronically and in hard copy.
http://safety.transportation.org/
http://safety.transportation.org/guides.aspx - for a list of the specific guides
The following “text” is from European experience, but would have value. Not used in CE 552 course because of cost and sheer volume of information.
Highway Design and Traffic Safety Engineering
Handbook by Ruediger Lamm, Basil Psarianos, Theodor Mailaender
McGraw Hill, 1999 ($195)
Construction zones The following publication addresses construction zone safety with special emphasis on the construction crews rather than the motoring public. The issues, however, are important to all aspects of construction zone safety.
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/11000/11000/11060/01-128.pdf
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety - power point presentations for use
Includes truck/car, unlicensed drivers, cat/truck - others being developed
http://www.aaafoundation.org/multimedia/index.cfm?button=presentations
Article from Readers Digest addressing safety - Ask yourself, - if you, as the responsible engineer, have identified a potential problem in your district, but have not been able to address the situation, are you liable for injuries and other losses that may occur at the location?
http://www.roadwaysafety.org/ReaderDigest.pdf
Committee report leading to future research
NCHRP Special Report 260 - See chapter 5
Strategic Highway Research: Saving Lives, Reducing Congestion, Improving the Quality of Life, by TRB Committee, 2001.
http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/sr/sr260.pdf
Section 402 of Highway Safety Act grant policies
http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/whatsup/tea21/GrantMan/HTML/01_GrantFundPolicy.html
General Program Features
Section 402 - State and Community Highway Safety Programs (23U.S.C. 402)
Section 402 funds are to be used to support the State's Performance Plan, which contains performance goals, based on the problems identified by the state, and Highway Safety Plan for the implementation of a program that addresses a wide range of highway safety problems that are related to human factors and the roadway environment and that contribute to the reduction of crashes, deaths, and injuries resulting therefrom. Section 402 enhances States' programs by providing resources to start up new, more effective projects; by catalyzing or accelerating State programs to address major safety issues with well-planned strategies; and by leveraging additional State and local investment in highway safety.
Prior to fiscal year (FY) 1998, NHTSA and FHWA had separate Section 402 appropriations funding highway safety grant programs. As of FY 1998, the Section 402 funds are all managed by NHTSA, and programs previously eligible for funding under FHWA's program are coded under NHTSA's "Roadway Safety".
The Uniform Procedures for State Highway Safety Programs (23 CFR Part 1200) and Highway Safety Programs; Determinations of Effectiveness (23 CFR Part 1205), provide comprehensive information concerning eligible activities.
Section 153 - Use of Safety Belts and Motorcycle Helmets (23U.S.C. 153)
Section 153 Incentive grant funds were available, by application, between FY 1992 and FY 1994 to States that had in effect complying safety belt and motorcycle helmet use laws and, subsequently, for maintaining certain levels of public compliance under those laws. These grant funds may be carried forward but must continue to be used only for the implementation of occupant protection and motorcycle safety programs in the areas of education, law enforcement training, law compliance monitoring, and law enforcement activities.
SECTION 402 OVERVIEW
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/fourthlevel/pro_res_section402_overview.htm
Subtopics from http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/97095/list/body_list.html
This is an extremely rich source of research summary of human and design related factors in crashes. Subsections are shown below.
VOLUME II: HUMAN FACTORS AND HIGHWAY SAFETY
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
1 Related studies illustrating the relationship between accident rate and radius of curvature
2 Intersection geometries examined in the Staplin et al. (1996) field study of right-turn channelization
3 Alternative left-turn treatments for rural and suburban divided highways
4 Left-turn lane offset design values to achieve required sight distances using the modified AASHTO model (J=2.5 s) and unrestricted sight distances
5 The entry process and components of the entry model developed in NCHRP 3-35
6 The exit process and components of the exit model developed in NCHRP 3-35
7 Related studies illustrating the relationship between accident rate and pavement width
8 Optimum distribution of 200- and 300-mm (8- and 12-in) traffic signals
9 Effect of age on sign legibility
10 The effects of day vs. night on sign legibility distances
11 Effect of contrast ratio on legibility
12 Effect of retroreflectivity on legibility
13 Effect of letter series on legibility
14 Effects of letter spacing on legibility
15 Effects of letter height during daylight
16 Effects of letter height at night
17 Confounding number of matrix points with letter height and stroke width
18 Confounding matrix point luminance with size
VOLUME II: HUMAN FACTORS AND HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1 Number of citations obtained and resulting number of articles in final target set for each content area
2 Percent reduction in accidents on horizontal curves with 8-ft beginning lane width as a result of lane widening, paved shoulder widening, and unpaved shoulder widening
3 Expected reduction in number of accidents per intersection per year.
4 Recommended ISD for uncontrolled intersections, based on stopping from a reduced speed
5 Comparison of gap acceptance field study results with results from other studies, based on data for turns from stop-controlled intersections onto a two-lane major road
6 Recommended critical gap value (travel time) for determining sight distance for left and right turns onto the major road at stop-controlled intersections (Cases IIIB and IIIC)
7 Recommended critical gap value (travel time) for determining sight distance for the crossing maneuver at stop-controlled intersections (Cases IIIA)
8 Leg of sight triangle along the minor road for crossing maneuvers from a yield-controlled approach
9 Travel time for a minor-road vehicle to reach, cross, and clear the major road from a yield-controlled approach
10 Recommended travel times for determining sight distance for left and right turns onto the major road at yield-controlled intersections (Case II)
11 Comparison of clearance times obtained in the Staplin et al. (1996) field study with AASHTO Green Book values used in sight distance calculations
12 Required left-turn sight distance to clear one or both opposing lanes
13 Minimum and desirable offsets for opposite left-turn lanes, as a function of opposite left-turn lane vehicle type (passenger car vs truck)
14 Peak (minimum) daytime intensity requirement (cd) for maintained signals with no backplate
15 Optimum distribution of 200- and 300-mm (8- and 12-in) traffic signals
16 Recommended minimum intensity for fully dimmed signals (rounded to nearest 5 candelas)
17 Site characteristics used to assess signal dimming advisability
18 Luminance levels (cd/m2) at which dimming may commence
19 Colors of traffic signals: boundary equations
20 Colors of traffic signals: coordinates of boundary corners
21 Studies used to summarize the effects of specific sign variables on legibility
22 Summary of CMS design elements and key study variables
23 Contrast requirements for edgeline visibility (threshold detection) at 122 m (400 ft) with 5 s preview at a speed of 88 km/h (55 mi/h), as determined by PC DETECT computer model
Maximizing Safety and Efficient Operations for the Highway User
The following connection leads to publications in many areas associated with Advanced Traveler Information Systems
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tfhrc/safety/intro.htm
Advanced Traveler Information Systems.
Driver and Human Performance.
Driver Information Systems.
Intelligent Vehicle/In-Vehicle.
ITS Capabilities.
Older Drivers.
Pedestrian/Bicyclist Safety.
Roadway and Roadside Safety.
Safety Management.
Traffic Management Systems.
Human Factors Guidelines (HFG) - An going project for a report dealing specifically on human factors.
http://trb.org/publications/nchrp/nchrp_w70.pdf
Crash Risk Migration
The following web site is from an Australian newsletter. It contains important points about the potential for change in crashes at locations other than the improved location (crash migration). Check it out and check at the base address for earlier or later issues. http://www.arrb.com.au/documents/RiskReporter/RiskReporterIssue5.pdf
Issue 4, for example deals with the geometric design standards and road safety.
http://www.arrb.com.au/documents/RiskReporter/RiskReporterIssue4.pdf
The main address is ; http://www.arrb.com.au/
Driver Expectancy: Ashort paper by Eugene Russell
http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/pubs/crossroads/155using.pdf
MISCELANEOUS
TOO MANY SIGNS...Traffic Calming Gone Mad
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23366547-details/335+road+signs+in+eight-mile+stretch/article.do
NO SIGNS AT ALL...Naked Streets
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.12/traffic.html