Safety Sidekick Newsletter
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 Summer is here, and we know that many of you will be hitting the road for vacation and other travel. We'd like to remind you to travel safely and be aware of all the extra road users sharing the roads with you (i.e., motorcycles, pedestrians, cyclists, agricultural vehicles, etc.). For example, always remember to "check twice and save a life - motorcycles are everywhere." To read more about motorcycle safety, please see our
blog post below.
Here at the Safety Center, we are also focused on broadening our awareness of all types of safety issues. In addition to our efforts to improve the Engineering side of safety, we want to ensure that we are offering training on all of the "4Es" (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and EMS). In that light, we are pleased to be rolling out a more multi-disciplinary focus this summer. Please join us for our July webinar that will highlight the public health side of rural transportation safety, or our August webinar which will be co-hosted with the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) and will address the importance of all 4E's. You can read more about these webinars in this newsletter, or you can find registration information on our website by clicking
here.
For another opportunity to take a "big picture" view of critical safety issues, do not forget to register for our National Working Summit on Transportation in Rural America this September in Denver, CO. The agenda is now available
here - we are excited that the format will encompass multiple rural transportation modes, and engage stakeholders from multiple professions (e.g., engineers, planners, elected officials, commercial vehicle operators, tourism organizations, tribal representatives, injury prevention specialists, law enforcement, EMS, etc.).
Join the conversation and be a part of the solution!
Lastly, please follow the Safety Center on
Facebook and
Twitter @ruralroadsafety for the latest updates and to follow us out on the road!
Sincerely,
National Center for Rural Road Safety
info@ruralsafetycenter.org |
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The Safety Center has been busy on the road in 2016. In-person networking and outreach is an important way for us to improve the services we offer, especially for a relatively new Center. Traveling allows us to get the word out that the Safety Center exists, add people to our distribution list, encourage people to share our information with their own contacts, identify speakers and topics for new webinars, distribute FHWA documentation and resources, reach new audiences with our training, and
present the latest research at various national conferences.
Here are a few examples of where Safety Center staff members have traveled in 2016!
The Safety Center booth was featured at:
- Lifesavers in Long Beach, CA in April;
- NACE Conference in Tacoma, WA in April;
- Northeast Safety Conference in Worcester, MA in June; and
- NADO National Regional Transportation Conference in Chattanooga, TN in June.
Our in-person trainings so far in 2016 include:
- Road Safety 365 at the NACE Conference in Tacoma, WA in April;
- Roadside Safety Basics for Locals in May 2016; and
- Maintenance for Rural Road Safety at the MN Expo in May 2016.
In addition, we have made presentations at or participated in the following conferences:
- Transportation Research Board (multiple committees) in D.C. in January 2016;
- MRRTPO Committee in NM in February 2016;
- RTPO Quarterly Roundtable in NM in March 2016;
- Lummi Nation Tribal Road Safety Audit in WA in March 2016;
- NHTSA Region 6 Safety Summit in Dallas, TX in March 2016; and
- NADO National Regional Transportation Conference in Chattanooga, TN in June.
We still have many upcoming events for 2016, so look for us at the following forums:
- Road Safety 365 In-person Pilot Training in LA in June;
- NLTAPA Conference in Madison, WI in July (Road Safety 365 Train the Trainer, Safety Research Session, and Booth);
- GHSA and AASHTO Safety Management Subcommittee in Seattle, WA in August;
- Traffic Records Forum in Baltimore, MD in August;
- Roadside Safety Basics for Locals In-person Training in IA in August;
- National Working Summit on Transportation in Rural America in Denver, CO in September; and
- Maintenance for Rural Road Safety In-person Training in KY this fall.
The Safety Center was featured in the May/June 2016 issue of Public Roads. To read the article entitled "A Sidekick for Rural Safety" click here.
To stay up-to-date on where the Safety Center is, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @ruralroadsafety.
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Motorcycle Awareness
With the fair weather months upon us, the chances of motorists interacting with motorcycles on the roadways are likely. According to the
Motorcycle Safety Foundation , motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise an average of 10% per year over the last 20 years. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Traffic Safety Facts statistics also show their percentage of overall traffic fatalities and injuries has also had a steady increase.
Even though motorcycles account for less than 5% of registered vehicles in the US, they are traveling some 21 million miles each year. NHTSA reports that per vehicle traveled, motorcyclists were more than 26 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash. That is an astounding number.
Certainly there are patterns to be found in the crash data for motorcycle incidents. Motorcycle collisions are more likely with fixed objects than other vehicles; however, about 75% of two-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles were motorcyclists colliding with vehicles in front of them. They are more likely to crash with other vehicles turning left, while the motorcycles were going straight, passing, or overtaking passenger vehicles.
How do we, as motorists, improve motorcycle safety awareness? Most of the time, it is haste that is our shortcoming. Vehicles changing lanes into the motorcycle path or cutting them off, often lead to the motorcycle having to abruptly slow, stop, or swerve. Similarly, vehicles tend to turn into the path of oncoming motorcycles when turning left, because they misread how much response time there is. Some 33% of motorcycle crashes are intersection related. David Pabst, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety, offers the following advice: "Drivers can easily misjudge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle because of its smaller dimensions. To prevent crashes, drivers should check the position of a motorcycle at least two or three times before they proceed through an intersection or make a turn."
NHTSA offers several tips for drivers on how to "Share the Road" with motorcycles:
- A motorcycle has the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle on the roadway.
- Allow the motorcyclist a full lane width. Although it may seem there is enough room in the traffic lane for an automobile and a motorcycle, remember the motorcycle needs the room to maneuver safely. Do not share the lane.
- Motorcycles are small and may be difficult to see. A motorcycle has a much smaller profile than a vehicle, which can make it more difficult to judge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle.
- Remember that a motorcyclist can be hidden in a vehicle's blind spot or missed in a quick look due to its smaller size. Always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.
- Don't be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle - motorcycle signals may not be self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed.
- Remember that road conditions that are minor annoyances to motorists can pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Motorcycle riders may change speed or adjust position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.
(Photo Credit: Utah Department of Public Safety)
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In April 2012, the National Safety Council released a white paper called "Understanding the distracted brain: Why driving while using hands-free cell phones is risky behavior." The paper looks at the dangers of cell phones and hands-free devices. Since that time, we have seen more states enact bans of both handheld and hands-free cell phone use, stricter employee policies on talking and texting while driving, and many public service announcements warning about the risks of driver inattention. There are numerous video clips across the social media showing the perils of risky driver behavior. It's such a prevalent issue that the USDOT maintains a website called
www.distraction.gov
where statistics, research, laws, outreach campaigns, and other resources are made readily available to those trying to eradicate the problem.
NHTSA reports that at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010. (Source:
http://www.nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811719.pdf
)
That electronic device use challenges our ability to safely and effectively drive. Research indicates drivers using handheld and hands-free phones only see about 50 percent of all the information in their driving environment, a phenomenon which has been termed "inattention blindness." Those hands-free devices are still impacting the brain's cognitive capacity- cognitive distraction is often unrealized by the driver. A person engaged in a phone conversation while driving has now put their brain into divided attention mode. This creates a scenario where the brain is overloaded and information will be filtered out- this could be important roadway information and alerts to potential hazards. People do not have control over what information the brain processes and what information it filters out. The impact is so great, that 30 research studies and reports compiled by the National Safety Council all yield the same results- that hands-free phone use is no safer when driving
(Source: Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 48th Annual Meeting).
Recently, a friend was driving a semi-rural county roadway in our area, hauling a four-horse trailer. As she approached an un-signalized intersection, she was struck by another vehicle. There were no visual obstructions in the intersection. The stop sign was unobstructed. The weather was clear. It was daylight. The other driver, using a cell phone, crossed the roadway without stopping and collided with the horse trailer and flipped it over.
In a moment's time, lives were lost. There was no roadway condition to blame. No engineering element missing. What had been a routine trip, just a few miles from home turned into tragedy for one young woman because of a driver, who likely would have stopped at the stop sign had they not been distracted.
(Photo Credit: National Safety Council)
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| Upcoming Safety Center Trainings and Events |
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Registration Now Open for the National Working Summit on Transportation in Rural America
Recognizing that rural roads are a foundational building block for commerce, agriculture, tourism, and technology development, the center is coordinating a national working summit for 2016 -
the National Working Summit on Transportation in Rural America: Advancing SAFE Transportation Systems to Enhance Economic Development and Quality of Life
.
So why a working summit?
First
, we want a solution. We know that if we make it a goal for the Summit to produce a white paper outlining solutions to the serious issues surrounding rural transportation - we have something to help us move forward; and secondly, this Summit will provide an opportunity for organizations and individuals with various concerns and interests to collaborate in a manner that will advance the deployment of a safe, efficient, seamless and financially sustainable rural transportation network."
Interested?
The please join us September 7-9, 2016 in Denver, Colorado to help us "advance the change!" To register or learn more about the summit including the recently released agenda including speakers and sessions please visit our registration page here.
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Upcoming Safety Center Webinars
July Webinar:
Roundtable on the Public Health Side of Rural Transportation Safety
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Mountain/11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Eastern
This Safety Center sponsored webinar will explore the public health side of rural transportation safety. In this unique webinar, the Safety Center will host a question and answer roundtable with four experts that represent different facets of the public health side of rural transportation safety.
To submit a question to be used during the roundtable, please email the question (and who you would like to answer it) to info@ruralsafetycenter.org.
For more details about this webinar, click
here.
August Webinar:
TZD through Improved TSMO and Rural Emergency Response
Jointly hosted with the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Mountain/1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern
This Safety Center and NOCoE sponsored webinar will discuss a multi-disciplinary, 4E approach to transportation systems management and operations featuring the perspectives of both a county sheriff and department of transportation engineers. It will feature a case study examples from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
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"Ambulance Drones" Could Pave the Way for Safer Rural Roads
One of the most important considerations in emergency medical treatment is response time. Rural roads pose a particular obstacle to quick and efficient medical response, as evidenced by the fact that "Motor vehicle crashes on rural roads account for more than half of all highway fatalities in the United States, yet less than one-quarter of the population lives in rural areas."[1] This high rural fatality rate can be largely attributed to the challenges that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) face to be notified and respond to crashes and their victims in an efficient matter. Many have turned to research to find solutions that tackle the geographic boundaries that challenge emergency response times.
The drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is a growing concept in many fields, and is expected to potentially revolutionize EMS as an eye in the sky safety vehicle and for rapid delivery of potentially lifesaving supplies.[2] While Amazon has taken to drones for the quick delivery of packaged goods, EMS drones have the potential to aid rural roads in providing safety and response to their users. And "as Chris Hall, chief operating officer of Remote Area Medical, which put on the free clinic, noted at the time, in places like rural Virginia, it can take an hour for health care workers to get medicine and supplies to residents, but drones can fly them over in five minutes."[3] Logistically, it's a head on solution to a prevalent problem, and using drones has the potential to decrease response time and increase survival rates.
The creator of one of the original prototypes of the EMS drone, Alec Momont, was a graduate student at Delph University of Technology in the Netherlands when he created the "ambulance drone" in 2014. He said that chances of survival will increase dramatically, and that "this is because the ambulance drone is not affected by current road infrastructure, but is capable of flying in a straight line, bringing down the average response time of an ambulance from 10 minutes to one."[4] For heart attacks, vehicle crashes, and other immediate medical traumas, researchers say that time is incredibly valuable to the situation. Dr. Maria Mayorga of N.C. State writes that, "Depending on the type of heart attack, the probability of survival if you go past 11 minutes-reduces to practically zero".[5] Momont's own research adds that, "if we can get to an emergency scene faster, we can save many lives and facilitate the recovery of many patients. This especially applies to emergencies such as heart failure, drownings, traumas and respiratory problems, and it has become possible because life-saving technologies, such as a defibrillator, can now be designed small enough to be transported by a drone."[6]
With the ability to carry items such as a defibrillator, inhaler, epi-pen or other device, EMS drones likewise can be equipped with cameras to help the EMS dispatcher guide a person at the scene on how to use the items until help arrives.
Ambulance drones have the ability to revolutionize situational awareness and improve responder safety, and in turn, increase opportunities for rural road safety. The biggest challenge that the ambulance drone faces in the future of telemedicine and rural road safety could be the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - the federal agency with jurisdiction over non-military unmanned aerial vehicles.[7] As Robert Sczcerba writes in his Forbes article, Ambulance Drones - the Future of Healthtech, "legal and regulatory challenges include creating a framework to integrate drones into an already crowded airspace, training and licensing operators, determining liability, and respecting national sovereignty." [8] Most recently, the FAA has published its 624-page rulebook governing the commercial flight of drones. Some notable rules and restrictions include that: "commercial drones weighing up to 55 pounds are allowed to fly during daylight hours and lower than 400 feet in the air, or higher if within 400 feet of a taller building or tower; the aircraft must remain within sight of the operator or an observer who is in communication with the operator; and operators must be at least 16 years old and pass an aeronautics test every 24 months for a certificate and a background check by the Transportation Security Administration[9]. The FAA estimates that it granted special permission for over 5,300 commercial drones while the rules were being finalized, and this new set of rules will open the floodgates to tens of thousands more who will no longer need to seek an individual approval from the FAA. Overall, while some embrace the idea of ambulance drones as a positive step towards addressing rural road safety and the response issues associated with them, the widespread use of autonomous drones continues to be a controversial topic that face obstacles of their own.
[1] Minge, Erik D. (2013). Emergency Medical Services Response to Motor Vehicle Crashes in Rural Areas. National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). Accessed http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_syn_451.pdf
[2] DeLuc, Todd J. (2015). Drones for EMS: 5 ways to use a UAV today. EMS1.com. Accessed http://www.ems1.com/paramedic-chief/articles/40860048-Drones-for-EMS-5-ways-to-use-a-UAV-today/
[3] Levin-Epstein, Michael. Here Come the Drones. Telemedicine: Charting Healthcare's Digital Future. Accessed http://www.telemedmag.com/features/2016/3/11/here-come-the-drones
[4] Wood, Colin. (2014). Ambulance Drones May Save Lives. Govtech.com. Accessed http://www.govtech.com/public-safety/Ambulance-Drones-May-Save-Lives.html
[5] Sbraccia, Steve. (2016). From Wright Brothers to commercial drones, NC leading the way. CBS North Carolina. March 9, 2016. Accessed http://wncn.com/2016/03/09/from-wright-brothers-to-commercial-drones-nc-leading-the-way/
[6] DeLuc, Todd J. (2015).
[7] Levin-Epstein, Michael. Here Come the Drones. Telemedicine: Charting Healthcare's Digital Future. Accessed http://www.telemedmag.com/features/2016/3/11/here-come-the-drones
[8] Szczerba, Robert J. (2014). The Future of HealthTech - Ambulance Drones. Forbes Magazine Online. Accessed http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2014/12/14/ambulance-drone/#2129affb37e1
[9] Jansen, Bart. (2016). FAA completes landmark rules for commericial drones. USA TODAY. June 21, 2016. Accessed http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/21/faa-commercial-drone-rules/85641170/
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Involving Tribes in SHSP Updates
In case you missed it, FHWA recently published their Spring issue of the Safety Compass Newsletter. Their article on "Involving Tribes in SHSP Updates" will be of interest to many of you, and therefore, we wanted to highlight it! It can be found here.
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Cycling Tips on Rural Roads
One of the many unique pleasures of cycling is embracing the outdoors, enjoying the landscapes, and taking in the fresh air. Unfortunately, these pleasant rural settings tend to affect vehicle operators much the same way, and with added relaxation comes increased speeds and waning attention spans. Those pleasant winding roads present hazards all of their own, and any cyclist traversing them must remember that they are not alone on the road. Similarly, as a cyclist, you can never assume that someone else is just as aware as you. While everyone knows basic cycling safety tips like wearing a helmet, here are special considerations that should be made when navigating on a rural road:
Make yourself seen and heard
The first and best step for safety on rural roads takes place before you even leave your destination. While the monotony of a rural road is what you may sometimes be seeking as a cyclist, you should do your best to break up that monotony for oncoming vehicles. Bright colors, reflective clothing, and high visibility safety gear, are essential when navigating rural roads. Most athletic clothing companies design their gear with cyclist safety in mind, and there is no excuse not to take advantage of the safest gear. Similarly, make sure your bicycle is just as visible as you are. Reflectors on a bicycle, particularly a night, are the best way to ensure a driver will see you from a distance.
Pay attention to the traffic around you
Just as much as you want drivers to pay attention to you, cyclists on rural roads are obliged to pay attention to the vehicle traffic around them. Almost half of cyclist fatalities occur on rural roads, with the number one reported reason being "failure to look properly, either by the cyclist or the driver". Vehicle traffic moves in both directions, so cyclists should be adept at looking ahead and over their shoulder. Coming around a curve with low visibility and no way to tell what is ahead? Slow down! Safety shouldn't be a guessing game.
Watch for different types of vehicles
Along with typical automobiles that could be cruising at high speeds, rural roads sometimes present slow moving farm equipment as an additional obstacle. While the natural inclination is to pass the farm vehicle, keep in mind that vehicle operators will have the same idea as you. Improperly signaling or rushing to get ahead leaves a cyclist as the most vulnerable person on the road.
Heed traffic signals, particularly at intersections
A large number of cycling crashes happen at or near a road junction. These can be summed up for a variety of reasons, but is most often because either the cyclist or the driver was in a hurry, improperly signaled, failed to check both directions, or attempted a poor turn or cycling maneuver. A quarter of the crashes observed in junctions occurred in areas where the cyclist was first getting on the road from the pavement. This includes either first joining the road way, or crossing the road at a designated crosswalk. Make sure you obey the traffic signals and pay attention to the road signs and pavement markings that detail what kind of driver behavior to expect.
Pay attention to road and weather conditions
Everyone has their own favorite spots for cycling, but sometimes we all go off the beaten trail to attempt different routes. No two roads are the same, and no expectations should be made about the condition of your route. The long curve you enjoy on a sunny day could be hazardous in the rain; roads that look pristine from a distance could have pot holes and cracks hidden ahead. As a cyclist, you must navigate not only these hazards, but also ensure that your reaction to them does not put you in more harm (swerving out of the way with cars hot on your tail). And if you do find yourself ever in need to stop or slow down, do so in a place where you are visible to drivers in both directions.
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Saving Lives through Local Road Safety Planning
Date: June 30, 2016
Time: 2:00 pm to 3:15 pm ET
Cost: Free
Organization: National Association of Counties (NACO)
Join NACO on this interactive webinar to learn about Local Road Safety Plans (LRSPs), and how your county can benefit from the development and implementation of one. Federal, state, and local transportation experts will discuss the recognized positive impacts LRSPs have on local road safety through collaboration with safety stakeholders, building awareness and correlation with the State Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP). LRSPs are designed to build on the foundation established by the SHSP. They can also provide the basis for systemic implementation of safety measures across the entire jurisdiction. This presentation will provide an overview of LRSP with a focus on (1) the "why" of developing Local Road Safety Plans; (2) the benefits realized and (3) different approaches to the development and implementation of the plans. This webinar is being presented with support from the sponsors of the NACo Community and Economic Development program.
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Rumble Strips Virtual Peer Exchanges Glean Interesting Findings
We know that many of you use rumble strips on your roads. Did you see the article on "Rumble Strips Virtual Peer Exchanges Glean Interesting Findings" in the Spring issue of FHWA's Safety Compass Newsletter? In case you missed it, it can be found here.
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Rural Challenges: Unsignalized Intersections
Even though a majority of the traffic in the United States is carried on urban roads, rural roads still account for 54% of the traffic fatalities. Not surprisingly, a significant portion of these crashes occurs in intersections in both urban and rural areas. Naturally, intersections are prone to serious traffic crashes, as they are the point in which vehicle operators cross paths with other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists- and generally require changes of speed or lanes. While intersections make up a larger chunk of the urban crash total, (due to the higher volume of junctions), the results of collisions on rural roads are often significantly more serious because of the increased speeds involved and the lower frequency of seatbelt use. Accordingly, unsignalized intersections in rural areas are the most likely to have fatal crashes.
Unsignalized intersections often present many dangers not observed at signalized intersections, due to the priority of traffic on the main road. The low road volumes tend to be unsignalized, which is often associated with high speed travel and poorer intersection visibility. Installing traffic signals is the reflexive response in most situations, statistics show that the number of crashes often holds steady, or in some cases, can even increase. As such, more targeted strategies are required when attempting to improve an unsignalized intersection. Using the data provided from crashes at these locations, we can attempt to offer a series of best practices based on common crash issues.
Typically, the best first step in dealing with unsignalized intersections is improving the sight distance at unsignalized intersections. Most importantly, this includes addressing access management issues near the intersection. Driveways are rarely signed, and when they are, still can be confusing for vehicles driving in unfamiliar terrain. Driveway access within 250 feet of an intersection is perhaps the greatest concern, and should be closed or relocated whenever possible. If the intersection cannot be practically closed or relocated, some form of turn restriction should be enforced in its stead.
Another major cause of vehicle collisions is rear end collisions for turning vehicles. Often times, rural unsignalized intersections will not have a dedicated left turn lane, and if they do, it may not be long enough to ameliorate the frequent rear end collisions. If the left turn lane is not long enough, there can be a conflict between vehicles who are trying to turn and following vehicles. Ideally, some kind of offset left-turn lane can be utilized to highlight the difference in the approach for vehicles in each direction. Alternatively, the same method can be used to deal with intersections that have a high number of rear end collisions with right turning vehicles.
Ultimately, these improvements are all different ways to address the same issue; improving driver awareness. There are a slew of preventative engineering improvements available to slow traffic, increase the availability of gaps, split turning lanes, and improve signage that can help any driver navigate an unfamiliar rural intersection. When possible, police should assist in providing targeted enforcement in areas that receive new signage to ensure the changes are observed. Whether its speed enforcement, or making sure stop signs are obeyed, enforcement plays a powerful role in influencing driver behavior. The results of initiatives like these can also be presented to the public in as a means of informing them of the high-risk zones in their neighborhoods.
While the high number of crashes as intersections comes as no surprise, it does not need to be an inevitable fact. Strategies and technologies exist today to reduce the disproportionately high crash rates and can be applied on a case by case basis. Furthermore, the Federal Highway Administration has released an intersection guide which documents the most frequently occurring crash types along with pictures and is organized by cost of implementation. Using this
Unsignalized Intersection Guide, local governments can identify vehicle collisions that occur in their intersections, and follow the recommended steps in addressing them.
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National Contest Challenges Transportation Students to Improve Roadway Safety - ATSSA Press Release
(May 2, 2016) - The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) today announced a "Traffic Control Device Challenge" in partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a program unit of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The challenge will focus on how America's roadway system must change to accommodate both human and "machine" drivers. The challenge is designed to promote innovation and stimulate ideas regarding traffic control devices with a goal to improve safety on the nation's roadways. Eligible participants are individual high school, community college, college, graduate students and teams of students with an interest in transportation. "As we see connected and automated vehicles become a reality, we need to keep in mind that there will be a mix of human and machine drivers for some time to come. It will take time to turn over our nationwide fleet of vehicles and even more advances in technology will be made. We need to plan to keep all vehicles and drivers safe. Our goal is zero fatalities on our nation's roadways," said ATSSA Chairwoman Deb Ricker. Submissions to the contest must be an original design or modification of an industry-accepted design or product. A special panel of TRB experts will then judge entries based on the ability of the idea to address a specific roadway problem, how easily it can be understood by all road users, its applicability on a nationwide basis and its feasibility for implementation. Up to 12 finalists will be invited to display their ideas at the 2017 TRB annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in early 2017. From those, first, second and third place winners will be selected to present their concepts to the roadway safety industry at ATSSA's Annual Convention and Traffic Expo in Phoenix, Ariz. from February 12-14, 2017. "We're really looking forward to working with ATSSA to generate new ideas to make our roadways safe and efficient for a mix of today's vehicles and the automated vehicle of the near future," said Dr. Paul Carlson, of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Carlson chairs TRB's Standing Committee on Traffic Control Devices where the TCD Challenge idea originated. Interested students who wish to participate can find an application packet at http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/proposals/2017-TCDC.pdf ATSSA's core purpose is to advance roadway safety. ATSSA represents the roadway safety industry with effective legislative advocacy and a far-reaching member partnership. The association also leads the nation in work zone safety training and education for roadway workers across the country. ATSSA members accomplish the advancement of roadway safety through the design, manufacture and installation of roadway safety and traffic control devices. PRESS RELEASE Press Release www.atssa.com
The mission of the TRB is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary and multimodal.
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| What's Hot Off the Press? |
Breakthroughs in Vision and Visibility for Highway Safety: The Exploratory Advanced Research Program Workshop Summary Report
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Janet Leli,
Rutgers' Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation
Omid Sarmid, Rutgers' Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation
Jaime Eidswick, Western Transportation Institute
Carla Little, Western Transportation Institute
Karalyn Clouser, Western Transportation Institute
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