Traffic Safety Research Series

TRAFFIC SAFETY RESEARCH SERIES

A quarterly compilation of current traffic safety projects,

e-news, resources and links brought to you by Louisiana Center for Transportation Safety at LTRC

March 7, 2017 // Volume 1, Issue 3

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Dear Safety Research Partner,

The Louisiana Center for Transportation Safety (LCTS), also known as the Safety Center , shares this quarterly compilation of traffic safety research and e-news to keep you updated on current research and driving studies that may enhance your traffic safety practices to help save lives.

Updates from the Safety Center

Safety Center Selects New Research Problems

On Tuesday, February 14, the Research Problem Identification Committee (RPIC) for the Safety subject area within LTRC met to review and prioritize the research problem statement submissions. Four problem statements were chosen to continue as research projects at LCTS. These topics highlight significant safety problems in Louisiana including alcohol involved crashes, young driver crashes, intersections on horizontal curves, and lighting conditions to reduce pedestrian fatal crashes.

New Report!
"Drugged Driving in Louisiana: Quantification of its Impact on Public Health and Implications for Legislation, Enforcement and Prosecution"

The two main goals of this study were to evaluate laws and policies about drugged driving, and to analyze the frequency of drugged driving in Louisiana and other states. Findings reflect a lack of standardized procedures and an uneven distribution of resources throughout Louisiana. A comparison of DWI arrests, speeding violation and crashes of drivers who tested positive for various drugs shows that drivers arrested for drugged driving have higher rates of prior unsafe driving incidents than other drivers. Survey interviews reveal an overall lack of training, resources, and testing capacities in Louisiana. This study gives a clearer understanding of existing data limitations and challenges, and presents recommendations for dealing with drug-impaired driving.

View Final Report

Local News Spotlight

The 2017 Traffic Records Forum being hosted in New Orleans, LA is now accepting Abstract Submissions until May 5, 2017

This year's Traffic Records forum will be held from August 6 - 9 at the New Orleans Sheraton hotel. Abstract Submissions are now being accepted. Anyone interested in presenting at the 2017 forum may submit presentations online before May 5 for consideration.

Recently Published Reports Nationwide

Work Zone Simulator Analysis: Driver Performance and Acceptance of Missouri Alternate Lane Shift Configurations

The objective of this project is to evaluate MoDOT's alternate single lane shift sign configuration for work zones compared to the MUTCD lane shift signs which require two signs. This simulation project evaluates the drivers' lane shifting performance and acceptance of the alternate lane shift sign in work zones as compared to the two MUTCD lane shift signs. No noticeable differences in driving or lane shift patterns were observed between using MUTCD lane shift signs and MoDOT lane shift sign in the work zone. Read the full report

2016 Traffic Safety Culture Index

This document presents the results of the AAA Foundation's ninth annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, a nationally-representative survey conducted in 2016 that assesses the U.S. driving population's attitudes and perceptions toward traffic safety. More than 2,500 survey respondents contributed to the results tabulated in the Appendix section. This document can be a useful reference to traffic safety researchers and practitioners. Additionally, advocates of traffic safety may utilize statistics presented in this document to promote awareness. Read the full report

The Effect of High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance with Pedestrian Right-of-Way Lanes

This is a follow-up to a previous study titled High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance With Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws to determine if the observed increases in driver yielding from the previous study had persisted nearly 4 years after the high-visibility enforcement intervention program ended. The same oberservation procedures were used as in the original study, and results showed yielding behavior continued on an upward trend. Read the full report

2013-2014 National Roadside Study of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers: Alcohol Results

This report describes the alcohol results from the 2013-2014 National Roadside Survey (NRS), a national field study to estimate the prevalence of alcohol-, drug-, and alcohol-plus-drug-involved driving. This report focuses on the alcohol breath-test results and compares the data with the four previous NRS studies. The data indicates a continuing trend of decreasing alcohol involved driving on U.S. roads during weekend nights over the five NRS studies, including an 80% reduction in the percentage of drivers with breath alcohol concentrations of .08 grams per deciliter and higher. Read the full report

Drug and Alcohol Crash Risk: A Case-Control Study

This study used a "case-control" design to estimate the risk of crashes involving drivers using drugs, alcohol, or both. Biological samples were collected in Virginia Beach, Virginia from more than 3000 crash drivers at the scenes of the crashes, and 6000 control drivers. Alcohol was the largest contributor to crash risk. Drivers with a BrAC of .05 had a 2.05 times higher crash risk, and drivers with a BrAC of .08 were 3.98 times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers with no alcohol. After adjusting data for risk factors, there was no indication that any drug significantly contributed to crash risk. When both alcohol and other drugs were consumed, alcohol alone was associated with crash risk. Read the full report

FHWA Bicycle-Pedestrian Count: Technology Pilot Project

This report summarizes the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)'s one-year Bicycle-Pedestrian Count Technology Pilot Project. The purpose of the pilot project was to increase the organizational and technical capacity of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to establish and operate effective bicycle and pedestrian count programs, and to provide lessons learned for peer agencies across the country. FHWA selected ten MPOs from across the country to participate in the pilot, and this report highlights their experiences with identifying count locations; selecting and installing count technology; and collecting and using the count data. The report concludes with the key benefits and lessons learned identified by the MPOs throughout the course of the project. Read the full report

Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks

The Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks report is a resource and idea book intended to help small towns and rural communities support safe, accessible, comfortable, and active travel for people of all ages and abilities. It provides a bridge between existing guidance on bicycle and pedestrian design and rural practice, encourage innovation in the development of safe and appealing networks for bicycling and walking in small towns and rural areas, and show examples of peer communities and project implementation that is appropriate for rural communities. Read the full report

GHSA Publication: Spotlight on Highway Safety

Autonomous Vehicles Meet Human Drivers: Traffic Safety Issues for States

As autonomous vehicles (AVs) merge into our nation's traffic, the most pressing safety challenge for states will be preparing human drivers. This spotlight examines the implications of new vehicle technologies for highway safety agencies and advocates. The report emphasizes the importance of driver behavior during the transition period between traditional and autonomous vehicles, noting the challenges states may face in preparing human drivers. Recommendations for states include: avoid passing legislation until model laws have been developed, implement public education campaigns on interacting and operating AV technology safely, and collaborate with law enforcement on planning efforts. Read the full report

Infographic from GHSA

Source: http://www.ghsa.org/resources/spotlight-av17

National News Spotlight


	Source: AAAFTS 2016 TSCI Survey of licensed drivers who reported driving in the past 30 days

Young Millennials Top List of Worst Behaved Drivers

A new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 88% of young millennials engaged in at least one risky behavior behind the wheel in the past 30 days, including behaviors such as texting while driving, red-light running, and speeding. Read More

Motor Vehicle Deaths Estimated to be Highest in Nine Years

Preliminary estimates for 2016 data suggests that 2016 may have been the deadliest year on the nation's roads since 2007, with as many as 40,000 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. This estimate shows a 6% increase over 2015 and a 14% increase over 2014. Read More

GHSA and Responsibility.org Provide Law Enforcement Grants to Combat Drug-Impaired Driving

The Governors Highway Safety Association and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) are partnering to provide states with critical resources to combat the dangerous behavior of drug-impaired driving. These funds provide law enforcement training to better detect and evaluate drug-impaired drivers. Read More

U.S. DOT Advances Deployment of Connected Vehicle Technology to Prevent Hundreds of Thousands of Crashes

With the potential to reduce crashes on U.S. roadways, the U.S. DOT issued a Proposed Rule to advance the deployment of connected vehicle technologies. The rule would require automakers to include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology on all new light-duty vehicles. Allowing vehicles to "talk" to each other could prevent hundreds of thousands of crashes each year. Read More

FHWA Announces Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Guidance

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced new FHWA Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) guidance that can improve safety and mobility by accelerating the deployment of V2I communication systems. This technology complements the advancement of V2V communication technology in an effort to reduce crashes. Read More / V2I Resources

U.S. DOT Urges Public to "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" and Announces Funding for Innovative Technology to End Drunk Driving

As NHTSA kicked off it's annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, Federal and Virginia State officials announced a $5.1 million funding to help further develop and deploy the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), a technology that could eliminate drunk driving. Read full article / Read about DADSS