Last year, the Rural Safety Center (RSC) in conjunction with NACE, NLTAPA, and WRTWC announced the creation of the Road Safety Champion Program (RSCP), a nationally recognized certificate program designed to build a knowledgeable, safety minded workforce, responsible for operating, maintaining, and designing local roads. Since then, the RSC has been creating and piloting each of the modules in the RSCP. Over the summer, the RSC made the first five modules in the RSCP available for download by LTAPs. Since then, the RSC has been hard at work finalizing the remainder of the modules for release late next month (December 2021). These modules are available for LTAPs, state DOT trainers, and more to use as the full program or as individual modules. If you are interested in learning more about the program, you can check out our story map here or join us for the NNTW webinar on December 15th featuring the RSCP Program. If you are interested in obtaining access to the files, please contact the Rural Safety Center at jaime.sullivan2@montana.edu to request access.

Coming up at the RSC, please join us as we finish up the remainder of our 6-part webinar series on Improving Rural Road Safety with the Safe System Approach. You can find out more about the last two webinars in the training section below.

The Road to Zero Coalition is once again launching applications to fund innovative efforts to improve traffic safety through programming and research. In previous years, the Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants supported 26 grants totaling over $3 million. These new funds, once again provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will be awarded over three years to organizations and institutions committed to finding proven ways to reduce traffic fatalities.

Applications for the first year of funds, ranging from $50,000 to $250,000, close on Jan 7. Applicants must be a Road to Zero Coalition member (join free now) and proposed projects should have measurable objectives and generalizable results.

Join the Road to Zero Coalition on December 7th at 2 PM Eastern for a short webinar to learn more about this grant opportunity.

For more information, visit https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rural/MATCH or contact Rosemarie Anderson at rosemarie.anderson@dot.gov.

For a video overview of this tool, view this brief video: https://streamable.com/z6p19u?fbclid=IwAR13kmsm9V7M4lVFXbwD6uqyRkdMNRpaj5dnvVD6EKUDKW__dEpLyer_yxk

Development of Ruina is at a crossroads. A partnership with a Tribe or rural community would be valuable to inform the next phase of Ruina development and help it transition from an academic tool to one that realizes its potential to create safety benefits in a real-world setting. The Volpe Center is currently looking for 1-2 more tribal or rural community organizations to provide feedback on the app and perform real-world testing of how it works. Some basic customizations of the app are available to meet your needs. However, it should be noted that currently there is only android capability for this testing and not iOS, so the volunteering organizations would have to have android phones or tablets. 

If you are interested in participating, or have any questions or concerns, please contact Alexander Epstein (alexander.epstein@dot.gov) or Angie Byrne (angie.byrne@dot.gov).

One outcome of the career pathways initiative was the recognition that there needs to be an effective means for ensuring that a wide variety of transportation professionals acquire critical safety competencies. The WRTWC partnered with the Rural Safety Center, NACE, and NLTAPA to help launch the Road Safety Champion Program (RSCP) to facilitate road safety training across different transportation career paths. The RSCP will be featured in an upcoming webinar hosted by the WRTWC. To register for the webinar, visit: https://conta.cc/39CuFxq

To learn more, see the components of the career pathways implementation plan, and explore six different transportation related career pathways that will positively impact safety, please visit the initiative online here.

The website has new resources to help explain the 28 PSCs. Included are a flyer, multiple memos, and a reference booklet.

The FHWA Office of Safety invites you to register for and attend a webinar on Federal Highway Administration’s Proven Safety Countermeasures 2021 Update which is scheduled for Monday, November 22nd, 2021 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM EST. This webinar is focused on reaching external organizations. This webinar will introduce the nine new countermeasures, go through the updated website with new features, and highlight resources that can assist with implementation.

For full details on all of the winners, including a Noteworthy Practices Guide, please visit roadwaysafety.org/awards.

The Improving Rural Road Safety with the Safe System Approach 6-part webinar series will explore how a Safe System Approach (SSA) can be applied to rural areas, discuss strategies rural areas are already using that fit within a SSA, and identify additional SSA techniques that can be applied to improve rural road safety.

In Part 5 of the series, we will focus on the Safe Road Element through the lens of actions agencies can take. We will examine how to address the safe road element for roadway departures, pedestrians, and underserved communities. Additionally, we will hear about a comprehensive, systemic rural road safety program. To register, click here.

In Part 6 of the series, we will focus on the Post-Crash Care Element. We will examine this element through the lens of rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS), rural Traffic Incident Management (TIM), and rural crash investigations and data. To register, click here.

Webinars will be recorded, recordings will be available on the Rural Safety Center website.

The Road to Zero Coalition is excited to open applications for a new round of its Community Traffic Safety Grants. This webinar will be an opportunity to hear from previous grantees, ask questions about the application process, and be inspired to submit your idea to save lives on our streets.

To learn more about this webinar, click here.

Link: https://nsc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_A8JMPyd4SASyQxpOltLinw?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GOV%20748700&utm_content=

Safety is everyone’s job, but it can be difficult to find structured training curricula that meet the diverse needs of transportation agency staff with varied responsibilities for the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of safe local roadways. Whether you are a training provider or a transportation organization manager or practitioner, this webinar is for you. Webinar speakers will share information about the Road Safety Champion Program (RSCP), a training curriculum and nationally recognized certificate program that can be implemented by employers and training providers to incentivize safety competency attainment.

To learn more about this webinar, click here.

Link: https://conta.cc/39CuFxq

The ITS America Annual Meeting is a meeting place for the community of intelligent transportation professionals to network, connect, and form the partnerships this environment requires. This event will bring together the entire intelligent transportation community for four (4) days of thought-provoking education, networking, technical tours, and demonstrations exploring products, emerging technologies, and solutions that will enable a better future transformed by intelligent mobility. Join other transportation leaders and influencers to discuss and explore the deployment of intelligent transportation technologies that saves lives, improves mobility, promotes sustainability, and increases efficiency and productivity.

To learn more about this conference, click here.

Link: https://www.itsamericaevents.com/annual-meeting/en-us.html

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) 101st Annual Meeting will be held in person January 9–13, 2022 in Washington, D.C. The event is expected to attract thousands of transportation professionals from around the world. The meeting program covers all transportation modes, with sessions and workshops addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions.

A number of sessions and workshops focus on the spotlight theme for the 2022 meeting: Innovating an Equitable, Resilient, Sustainable, and Safe Transportation System. 

To learn more about this conference, click here.

Link: https://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/AnnualMeeting.aspx

Last year, an estimated 36,096 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. Lifesavers is recognized as the premiere conference to learn about the latest highway safety research, best practices, and cutting-edge initiatives; and to explore innovative technology and strategies used to combat risky driving behaviors and save lives. The Lifesavers Conference is also historically the world’s largest gathering of leaders and advocates in traffic safety. Now in its 40th year, the Lifesavers Conference will take place March 13-15, 2022 in Chicago, IL.

To learn more about this conference, click here.

Link: https://lifesaversconference.org/

To learn more about this conference, click here.

Link: https://www.countyengineers.org/annual-conference/

SRLEEA events feature the most distinguished lineup of law enforcement leaders, innovators and experts from a cross-section of the profession. Calls for presentations are currently open, interested presenters can submit as many different topics as they like, here.

To learn more about this conference, click here.

Link: https://smallrural.org/2021-annual-conference/

Federal Highway Administration has recently released a new Safe System Strategic Plan. This plan provides a roadmap for the advancement of the Safe System Approach in the United States. Check out the new plan here!

The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's pre-publication draft of NCHRP Research Report 988: Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap is designed to assist state departments of transportation and other public agencies and help inform policy–driven investment decisions. Check out the pre-publication draft of this report here.

To view or download the guide, click here.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) were honored with a 2021 National Roadway Safety Award for developing a user-friendly tool for roadway designers to cumulatively assess the safety characteristics of rural highway design. The biennial awards program is sponsored jointly by the Federal Highway Administration and the Roadway Safety Foundation. Check out the tool and how it was used here!

Read more at NHTSA.

Read more at GHSA.

GHSA's new report, Equity in Highway Safety Enforcement and Engagement Programs, includes ten recommendations developed by consulting firm Kimley-Horn for the association, State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and their partners, and the traffic safety community to support more equitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).

Read more at GHSA.

GHSA's new report examines how law enforcement officials, other first responders and crash scene investigators can better prepare for automated vehicle technology and outlines curriculum recommendations to improve training on rapidly changing safety protocols. The report – Law Enforcement, First Responder and Crash Investigation Preparation for Automated Vehicle Technology – was prepared by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and made possible by a grant from State Farm®.

Read more at GHSA.

How do you get across the importance of road safety to rural drivers who’ve gotten a little too comfortable with narrow roads and slow-moving vehicles? How do you make the same point with urban drivers heading to a state park, who have never seen a deer on the road? Illinois State Police (ISP) has a secret weapon for this: the agency’s statewide social media coordinator’s alter ego, Trooper Tracy. Learn more about this Illinois State Police Initiative here!

During Thanksgiving, millions will hit our nation's roads, eager to spend time with family and friends. It’s one of the busiest travel times of the year. Unfortunately, more people on the roadways means the potential for more vehicle crashes. Please use these social norming marketing tools, offered by NHTSA, which can be distributed to fit your local needs and objectives. These materials can help partner your office with other States, communities, and organizations on this seat belt safety initiative.

With the holidays around the corner, increased enforcement will be ongoing from December 15 through the New Year to remind all drivers of the dangers of driving impaired. NHTSA has prepared marketing materials to promote safe driving and to remind all drivers of the dangers of driving drunk or impaired.