Your Monthly Update
May 2021
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NTSB Releases 2021-2022
Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its 2021-2022 "Most Wanted List" of safety concerns that include several priorities, most notably the recommendation to use a "Safe System Approach" to better protect non-drivers.
"Our roadways...do not fully meet the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists – our vulnerable road users (VRUs)," the NTSB report said. "As a result, we are seeing increasing dangers to this population and too many accidents involving vehicles and VRUs."
Released every two years, the NTSB "Most Wanted List" also calls for automobile and truck manufacturers to "develop a standard practice of installing collision-avoidance and connected-vehicle technologies in all vehicles," the NTSB said.
The report also calls for a comprehensive strategy to eliminate speeding-related crashes, alcohol- and drug-impaired driving prevention, and the elimination of distracted driving.
The list identifies the biggest safety improvements needed across different modes of travel including highways, pipelines, marine, air and rail.
But the push for a Safe System Approach is a pivot from previous lists, which outlines the top 10 recommendations from many ideas presented by agency staff and discussed among the board's five members.
"Unlike motor vehicles, VRUs lack an external structure to protect them when crashes occur, and they're more likely to suffer a serious injury or even death," the report said. "Proven, effective countermeasures are being underused at the federal, state, and local levels to protect pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists."
"Our top priority is safe streets for all," OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. "We embrace opportunities to fund programs that work to protect bicyclists and pedestrians – the most vulnerable road users at risk of serious injury and deaths, and we are well-positioned to receive additional funding to supplement programs that keep people safe."
“As technologies continue to evolve, it’s not enough to say things like ‘more bicyclists need to wear helmets,.' ” NTSB chief of media relations Chris O’Neil told Streetsblog USA. “We need to say, how do we help prevent the [crash] in the first place?"
The NTSB is an independent federal agency that determines the probable cause of transportation-related crashes that also takes on an advocacy role for safety. The board has five members nominated by the President, with each board seat requiring Senate confirmation.
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NSC Survey: Driving With Kids Helps Avoid Distractions Behind the Wheel |
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Children are becoming role models for their parents' driving behavior simply by traveling with them, a recent survey by the National Safety Council (NSC) found.
Nearly all parents (98%) were less likely to be distracted by technology such as GPS, music devices, or looking at phone notifications when their children were in the car.
The survey released in advance of April's Distracted Driving Awareness Month asked 1,000 parents about their driving habits.
“The harsh reality is that thousands lose their lives each year in crashes where distracted driving plays a role,” Lorraine Martin, president and chief executive of the NSC, said in a statement. “We should all drive as though we have a loved one in our car on every trip, every time.”
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they regularly or occasionally used a navigation system while driving alone, but that number dropped 20% when children were in the car.
The NSC survey findings echo similar behavior changes in a 2019 OTS and Fresno State Distracted Driving Observational Survey. In that 2019 survey, drivers with no passengers were observed using an electronic device at nearly twice the rate as drivers with someone else in the car.
Other notable findings from the NSC survey included:
- Nearly one-third (32%) said they glance at, read or send text messages directly on the phone while driving alone occasionally or often. That number dropped to 23% with children in the car.
- About a quarter of drivers surveyed felt behaviors like speeding, distractions and driver fatigue were occurring more often due to COVID-19.
- The main deterrents for using a phone while driving included children saying they felt scared, having a loved one injured or killed, or being personally involved in a crash.
The top three distractions for drivers are texts, phone calls and children in the backseat.
The survey was conducted at a 95% confidence interval.
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Study: Drivers Are Zoning Out Behind the Wheel After Video Calls
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On a lot of video calls lately? You might want to wait before going out for a drive.
According to a new study by Root Insurance, more than half (54%) of the 1,819 drivers surveyed said they have had trouble concentrating on the road after video conferences.
As we spend hours in video conferences, then get behind the wheel, experts believe drivers are "zoning out" due to brain overload.
“Many Americans have honed their use of technology and their ability to multitask during the pandemic but living room skills do not translate behind the wheel,” Root Insurance founder and CEO Alex Timm said in a press release. “As drivers return to the road, they should recognize the dangers of false confidence to protect themselves and their passengers.”
“After you get into your car, you may be operating on autopilot,” Joan Claybrook, a former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, told NBC News. “I think computer use, in general, can overload you."
The Root Insurance study found that the younger the driver was, the more trouble they had focusing on driving. Sixty-five percent of Gen Z drivers reported losing focus while driving, compared to 61% for millennials and 48% for Gen Xers.
About 64% of drivers surveyed admitted that they check their phones while driving, and 53% of respondents said they check their phone within the first 15 minutes of driving.
"Daydreaming or 'zoning out' are difficult habits to combat, but another potentially dangerous form of driver distraction," OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. "It is critical that all of us bring our 'A game' while driving, with 100% of our focus on the task of driving."
The average driver used their phone 18 times every 100 miles, or once every 5.5 miles, a Root Insurance analysis of more than 6 billion miles driven by people who completed the "Root test drive" found. Root Insurance gathered the data from app users as they drove. The data did not include California drivers.
The Root study was conducted at a 95% confidence interval with a 2.3% margin of error.
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Auto Industry Group Issues Guidelines for Semi-Autonomous Vehicles |
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A leading auto industry group is calling on the major automakers they represent to add driver monitoring technology to semi-autonomous vehicle features and clarify their use so that they do not mislead customers.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade association representing most major automakers including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, is offering guidelines for advertising partially automated driving systems to make sure drivers are paying attention and using them safely.
The voluntary guidelines were released ahead of a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing last month on the future of vehicle safety and technology, the Associated Press reported.
The alliance told the Senate subcommittee that it would welcome regulations requiring driver-monitoring systems in all new cars sold with driver-assist technologies, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"High-profile crashes involving Level 2 systems where drivers were not appropriately engaged, erode consumer acceptance of and consumer confidence in Level 2 systems and could have implications for acceptance of more highly-automated vehicles," said Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella. "It was clear to our member companies that we needed to begin a public conversation about the importance of effective driver monitoring."
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International classifies autonomous vehicles based on six levels, from Level 0, or no automation, to Level 5, or fully autonomous where the vehicle is capable of performing all driving functions under all conditions. Current driver-assistance systems are Level 2, where a vehicle has combined semi-automated functions, but requires the driver to stay engaged and monitor the road environment.
The alliance recommended that any vehicle with semi-autonomous features (Level 2) should have driver monitoring as standard equipment, cameras to monitor whether drivers are keeping their eyes on the road, and a monitoring system that can't be disabled or turned off.
Such driving-assistance systems can keep vehicles centered in their lane and a safe distance between traffic in front of them, but Tesla, which is not an alliance member, continues to market its semi-autonomous technology as "Autopilot." Critics argue that calling the partially automated system "Autopilot" is misleading, causing drivers to believe the car can handle driving by itself without any driver monitoring or intervention.
Tesla uses sensors on the vehicle's steering wheel to detect whether a driver's hands are there, but engineers with Consumer Reports found a Tesla Model Y could easily be manipulated into driving without someone in the driver's seat.
After a series of deadly crashes reportedly involving the "Autopilot" features, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now investigating 24 crashes involving Teslas, Detroit News reported.
“There is no question that high-profile crashes have raised consumer acceptance and consumer confidence questions,” Bozzella told Detroit News. “System names and promotional material should not be misleading. Potential for driver misuse needs to be evaluated as part of the design process.”
There are currently no specific federal guidelines for autonomous vehicles, but NHTSA announced in November 2020 it was seeking public comment on how to regulate self-driving vehicles. The public comment period ended Feb. 1.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that driver monitoring systems are needed to keep drivers engaged when using driver-assistance systems.
In California, there are currently 55 companies that hold permits to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver. Seven have a permit for driverless testing.
A recent automated vehicle survey conducted by AAA found less than a quarter (22%) of respondents believe manufacturers should focus on developing self-driving vehicles.
"There is immense potential in autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles," OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. "As more companies begin testing and vehicle manufacturers continue to add driver-assistance systems, education about the importance of driver monitoring and understanding how to use the systems safely are paramount."
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AAA Report: Wrong-Way Crashes Pose Significant Traffic Safety Risk |
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According to AAA, more than 2,000 people died in wrong-way crashes between 2015 and 2018, up 34% from previous years, when about 375 people were killed annually in wrong-way crashes from 2010 to 2014.
“Wrong-way crashes on divided highways are often fatal as they are typically head-on collisions,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in a press release. “And unfortunately, as the data shows, fatalities from these crashes are on the rise.”
“Alcohol impairment is, by far, the single most significant factor in the majority of wrong-way driving crashes, which unfortunately has not changed since the NTSB issued its Wrong-Way Driving special investigation report in 2012,” said National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Director of the Office of Highway Safety, Dr. Rob Molloy.
Researchers examined data from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, or FARS, and found the most common factors were alcohol impairment, older age and driving without a passenger.
Six in 10 wrong-way crashes involved an alcohol-impaired driver. Those with a blood alcohol content (BAC) over the legal limit of .08 were significantly more likely to be wrong-way drivers.
Drivers over the age of 70 were also more likely to drive the wrong way, the data showed.
AAA said it will work with the NTSB to expand programs to address impaired driving, including ignition interlocks and increasing the use of police sobriety checkpoints. The agencies also recommended more driver refresher courses for older drivers, as well as signs and signals to warn drivers they are traveling the wrong way.
A 2020 Caltrans and University of California, Davis study found that red reflective markers on ramps reduced wrong-way driving incidents by 44%. The two-way reflective markers, which show white or yellow to right-way drivers and red to wrong-way drivers, were so effective that Caltrans began installing the markers on hundreds of miles of highway.
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The OTS, Kings Welcome Back Fans, Encourage Attendees to "Go Safely"
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The Sacramento Kings welcomed back a limited number of fans to Golden 1 Center on April 20, honoring and thanking frontline workers by inviting them to be the first fans back in more than a year.
As part of our continued partnership with the Kings, the OTS developed special messages at the entrance to Golden 1 Center encouraging approximately 1,600 frontline workers to get home safely.
The OTS also utilized the Kings + Golden 1 Center app to send a message to app users reminding them to not drive impaired on 4/20, the unofficial "holiday" for marijuana users.
A series of messages have also been on display during al fresco dining near the arena, with messages last month focused on distracted driving as part of April's Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
“The OTS is excited to see a gradual return to in-person experiences," OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. "A key part of attending a Kings game is getting to and from the arena safely. We remain focused on helping everyone 'go safely.' "
The Kings are gradually expanding the number of fans in attendance, in accordance with health guidelines and social distancing measures.
The Kings' last regular season home game is May 16.
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City of Lancaster "See and Be Seen" Campaign
Sixteen students in Lancaster will have their artwork adapted and featured on signal cabinets across the city.
The City of Lancaster "SEE AND BE SEEN" signal cabinet wrap art contest selected winners ranging from kindergartners to high school students. The contest ran from October to December 2020. Students were required to choose one of the four SEE AND BE SEEN education campaign safety messages:
- Make eye contact
- Eyes up, phones down
- Ride right in the bike lane
- Keep in mind, walk between the lines
This art contest is part of the City’s SEE AND BE SEEN Active Transportation Safety and Healthy Living program funded by the OTS.
The bicycle and pedestrian safety signal wrap campaign began in 2019 and has since expanded into a K-12 active transportation safety and healthy living education program, focused on behavior changes that will improve the safety of Lancaster's residents, especially children and older adults.
“I am so proud of all the talented, young artists who submitted entries for this year’s contest, and I want to thank each of them for their participation,” Candice Vander Hyde, Community Development Analyst and administrator of Lancaster’s SEE AND BE SEEN program, said in a press release announcing the contest winners.
“By submitting beautiful designs that will be showcased on signal cabinets, contest entrants help spread the word about the importance of active transportation safety in our community.”
The program kicked off the month of May with a scavenger hunt and bike repair clinic. The clinic provided students bike tune-ups and helmets for those who needed them. The month-long scavenger hunt throughout the city is intended to promote community engagement with businesses and safe transportation.
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Impact Teen Drivers "Create Real Impact" Winners Announced |
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Congrats to all of this year's winners of Impact Teen Drivers "Create Real Impact" contest!
One of those winners is the team at Modesto's Johansen High School. Health teacher Kelly Nasrawi and her students created "Survive the Drive," a social media campaign featuring videos, informational graphics and gifs raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.
"We did it ya'll!" Johansen High School's Survive the Drive campaign posted on Facebook. "A huge thank you to everyone who supported our campaign...We all hope you gained some insight into the dangers of distracted driving! We all can make simple changes to be safer on the road! May we all... SURVIVE THE DRIVE!"
One infographic titled "Simple Steps to Safe Driving" encouraged drivers to "turn down the sound," "toss the gloss," and "no naughty latte," highlighting different forms of distractions that take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road.
Another video showed the dangers of eating while driving.
There were more than 1,000 entries, Impact Teen Drivers told the Modesto Bee. Johansen High School won $5,000 for their "strong messaging and creative design."
The contest included entries from individual students and teacher/adviser social media campaigns, the latter done by Johansen High School.
The judging panel included educators, who judged based on concept and creativity, execution of the campaign, and effectiveness of the message.
To see the rest of their work, check out @JoHoDriveSafe on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Funded through a grant with the OTS in partnership with the California Highway Patrol, Impact Teen Drivers is a non-profit dedicated to educating teens on the dangers of distracted driving and other destructive decisions behind the wheel.
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Lifesavers Conference
It's a Wrap!
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Thank you to everyone who attended the virtual Lifesavers Conference!
We hope you were able to stop by our virtual booth and attend many workshops and plenary sessions.
Missed workshops you were unable to attend? The Lifesavers Conference is on-demand until June 5.
To take advantage, you can access via the same link and email that was used during the conference.
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May is National Bicycle Safety, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month |
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Throughout May, the OTS and our traffic safety partners will be raising awareness about the importance of keeping bike and motorcycle riders safe.
“Motorcycle riders are more vulnerable out in the elements, which is why it is important for drivers to be mindful of riders and drive safely around motorcycles,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said.
"“More and more people are taking up bike riding, and it is important that drivers are aware of bicyclists and travel safely around them," Director Barbara Rooney said. “If you need to move past a bike, try to provide at least three feet of space whenever possible. Think of others on the road who are not driving as your closest friends or family.”
Download our bicycle safety activity sheets on the "Go Safely, California" website, located on our "Toolkits" page under the "Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety" section.
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#Trending Stories
Stay off the Phone: CHP officers create video to promote Distracted Driving Awareness Month
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Officers at the California Highway Patrol's West Valley Division may have a future in television.
They created and posted an out-of-the-box video on social media to draw attention to distracted driving.
In the video, an officer witnesses a young driver texting at a red light. The camera then pans back from the young driver quickly putting his phone away to a CHP patrol car, where there is no longer anyone in the car.
As the driver and passenger look around, the officer then appears in the back seat, making them jump as he yells "Stay off the phone!"
"We have some silly personalities here at the office and we just took advantage of that," CHP Officer David Galbraith told KTTV/Fox11 Los Angeles. "It’s just showcasing an officer maybe in a little bit of a silly light that people aren’t used to, so we’re glad that it’s memorable and it’s sticking in people’s minds and we hope it translates into people remembering to stay off their phones while they’re driving."
The intention of the video was to grab people's attention in a funny way while also making it clear that distracted driving will not be tolerated. The video was produced as part of April's Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Officer Galbraith hopes the video makes an impact. The message: stay off the phone!
"Our message is just to remind people that it’s not worth it - the text message, the phone call can wait," he said. "If you have a passenger, pass the phone over and have them do it - focus your attention on driving."
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The OTS administers traffic safety grants that deliver innovative programs and strives to eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries on California roadways. The OTS is a department under the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA). |
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Contact the OTS Marketing & Public Affairs Team
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OTS Marketing and Public Affairs
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