Recently Published Reports Nationwide

 

Crash Risk of Cell Phone Use While Driving:  A Case-Crossover Analysis of Naturalistic Driving Data

This study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety examined the relationship between cell phone engagement and the risk of crash using a case-crossover design and data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study (SHRP 2 NDS).  The data was taken from 3,593 drivers that were monitored with in-vehicle video and other data collection methods from October 2010 to December 2013.  Cell phone use immediately prior to crashes were compared with the cell phone use during ordinary driving.  This was quantified by taking a driver's cell phone use in the six seconds leading up to a crash and comparing that same driver's cell phone use in up to four six-second long segments under similar weather, locality, time of day, speed, and lighting conditions.  In the end, 566 severe, moderate, and minor crashes were compared to 1,749 ordinary driving segments.  The results of this study showed similar results as previous studies, with visual-manual tasks associated with significantly increased crash risk.  Read the full report  

Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities:  A Comprehensive Approach to a Persistent Problem

A consensus study report has been released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that explores which interventions will help prevent injuries and death from alcohol-impaired driving.  Other topics such as the barriers to action and how to overcome them, and changing certain interventions are also addressed.  The report recommends several actions, including lowering the criminalized blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from 0.08 to 0.05, increasing alcohol taxes, preventing alcohol sales to people under 21 and already intoxicated adults, creating more ignition interlock laws, and providing proper treatment for offenders.  Current strategies focus on preventing people from driving drunk, but this study highlights the importance of shifting the focus to preventing people from drinking to the point of impairment. Read the full report

State Strategies to Reduce Highway and Traffic Fatalities and Injuries:  A Road Map for States

The purpose of this report is to develop efficient strategies for governors to address the steady increase of traffic related deaths, specifically the 5.6% increase from 2015 to 2016.  The report cites three major factors of the increase, which include increased exposure and mobility, risky road user behavior, and deficiencies in post-crash response.  The National Governors Association believes that state governors are a key part of the solution, and this report aims to help governors and their staff produce efficient countermeasures.  A five step strategy has been developed to assist in addressing the increase in fatalities.  The first step is to assess the situation, the second step is to coordinate with key agencies and stakeholders, the third is to set and align goals, step four is to develop strategies and select safety interventions, and the final step is to decide policies, implement, and evaluate.  To achieve the targeted goals, states should develop a work plan or identify an existing mechanism to create a plan.  Read the full report

  

10th SHRP 2 Safety Data Symposium
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) published a circular recapping the Symposium and summarizing lessons learned from working with the SHRP 2 Safety Data Program.  The data collected includes 35 million vehicle miles, 4,200 crashes and near-crashes, 5.5 million trips, 12,500 centerline miles of new roadway data, 200,000 highway miles data, and traffic, weather, work zone, safety, and campaigns.  The circular separates each session of the symposium, as well as gives a summary of each research topic within the sessions.  This publication serves as a universal resource to learn from and form ideas about topics presented at the symposium.  Read the full report

  

Estimating the Safety Effects of Work Zone Characteristics and Countermeasures:  A Guidebook

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) published a report to provide guidance for evaluating the safety impacts of decisions for those who plan and develop phasing and staging plans for traffic control through work zones.  The report cites that in 2013, 7.9% of the National Highway System (NHS) experienced a work zone in place on any given day, leading to a total of 527 fatal crashes.  In 2015, this number rose to 642 fatal crashes.  Although work zone crashes and fatalities have little data to address trends, causality, and safety improvement, this guidebook provides the encouragement to use data-driven, collaborative, comprehensive planning approaches of proven countermeasures to improve safety in work zones.  The report includes two methods for planning-level work zone crash estimation procedures, a guide for using CMFs to evaluate alternative work zone design features, operating strategies, and safety countermeasures, a catalog of available work zone CMFs, and work zone features for which no CMFs exist.   Read the full report

  

Analysis of Work Zone Crash Characteristics and Countermeasures

This web-only document is an accompaniment to the NCHRP Guidebook previously mentioned.  This technical report covers the various methodologies used and results of the research activities conducted for this project.  It documents the results of analysis performed on work zone crash report diagrams from three different crash databases to better understand and define the contributing factors that led to the crashes.  The document also discusses the data, methodology, and results of a work zone crash analysis correlated to periods of queuing and non-queuing during nighttime temporary lane closures in Texas, as well as evaluates the reducing effect of work zone ITS-based end-of-queue warning systems and portable rumble strips.  Lastly, the report documents efforts to develop predictive statistic models of work zone crashes as a function of lane width, shoulder width, barrier presence, and lane shifts.  Read the full report

 

National News Spotlight

Colorado DOT Talks Future of Transportation with Winter Night Club

Winter Night Club in Colorado Springs held a meeting to address the growing traffic in the area.  Citing 620 people dying in crashes last year, CDOT is looking at hyperloops, self-driving cars, and connected vehicles as possible solutions.  Hyperloop test tracks are already being developed.  Read More

U.S. Governor's Focus on Traffic Safety Praised

The National Governors Association's (NGA) report State Strategies to Reduce Highway and Traffic Fatalities and Injuries:  A Road Map for States has been praised for its contributions. This report helps identify proven countermeasures to reduce crashes and injuries.  The CDC jointly released a new online calculator to quantify injuries prevented, lives saved, and cost savings associated with countermeasures.  Read More / Online Calculator

    

Driver Reaction to Automated Systems Vary

Fifty-one employees at IIHS and HDLI have test driven one of five vehicles with adaptive cruise control, where three of which also had active lane keeping.  The employees used the vehicles anywhere from one day to three weeks, with the technology activated at all times.  The drivers preferred the adaptive cruise control that made small, gradual changes.  They also said they are more comfortable using these features on the interstate, as opposed to local roads where crashes are more likely.  Read More

Uber Mandates a Six-Hour Rest Period for Frequent Drivers

To combat drowsy driving, Uber drivers now have to take a six-hour break for every 12 hours of driving.  After 10 hours of driving, drivers will receive a warning.  After 11 hours, another warning, and a third notification will be a 30 minute warning.  After 12 active hours, the app will go offline for six hours.  Read More

Stay Updated on Ongoing National Studies

View some of the projects that the Safety Center is following:

National Traffic Safety Fact Sheets

Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities

GHSA 2018 Annual Meeting

LTRC Publications

TRB Publications Index

NCHRP Projects Database

NCHRP Synthesis Reports

NCHRP Project Reports

NCHRP Publications

Louisiana Data Reports

TRB Research in Progress Database

NHTSA Research

FHWA Office of Safety

AAA Foundation Completed Projects

Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2) Safety Research Reports

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

University Transportation Centers

 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

National Transportation Safety Board