It has been said that nationally about half of all traffic-related law suits are due to crashes that occur in work zones. Public agencies, consultants, and contractors are faced with significant exposure to risk of such law suits. Better managing this risk can result in safer transportation facilities, fewer deaths and injuries, and reduced exposure to law suits. 

Concern about potential liability can affect safety decisions by directing attention to road treatments that are assumed to be helpful to litigation efforts but may have little safety benefit. The inappropriate use of traffic control devices not only diverts safety resources but can increase the traffic crash risk by placing unnecessary fixed obstacles near the roadway.

Join GHSA and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) for a webinar discussing the importance of pedestrian and bicyclist safety education for children. Trenda McPherson, Florida DOT's State Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Program Manager, will share her state's successes and lessons learned in educating children on safe biking and walking practices, and PBIC's Sarah O'Brien will speak to the research on effective pedestrian and bicycle education techniques that lead to behavior change and knowledge retention. Richard Retting, Safety & Research Practice Leader for Sam Schwartz Consulting, who launched the first Safety City program for children in New York, will provide context and commentary. 

This timely webinar comes just as states and communities across the country gear up for National Walk to School Day on October 10. Learn why it's so important to educate children on walking and biking safely and what you can do to contribute to a safer future for our nation's children.

Often, efforts to improve health and safety focus on reaching children in schools. While this strategy is important, it neglects the need to address the behaviors of adults. Workplaces provide an important opportunity to engage adults about health and safety behaviors. In this webinar, we will explore definitions for healthy workplaces, the evidence base for workplace interventions, and future opportunities as to how workplaces could expand our portfolio of strategies to improve health and safety.

In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on improving pedestrian safety. Improving pedestrian safety extends to areas typically seen as being non-pedestrian-friendly, such as high speed and wide roadways. With traffic conditions changing as traffic volumes and congestion increases, the pedestrians' ability to safely cross many roadways is affected. Recent developments in geometric design features, traffic control devices, and technologies may improve pedestrian safety and access by addressing specific problems associated with roadway crossings. Although numerous treatments exist at unsignalized crossings, there is growing concern about their effectiveness. Thus, there is a need to identify and study selected treatments to determine their effectiveness.

A recent research project jointly sponsored by TCRP and NCHRP was initiated to address this particular need. The research was conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). The study had two main objectives: (1) to recommend selected engineering treatments to improve safety for pedestrians crossing high-volume, high-speed roadways at unsignalized intersections, in particular those served by public transportation; and (2) to recommend modifications to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) pedestrian traffic signal warrant. The research team developed and published a final report entitled Improving Pedestrian Safety at Unsignalized Crossings, NCHRP Report 562. Guidelines for use in selecting pedestrian crossing treatments for unsignalized intersections and mid-block locations is included in the report as Appendix A. A summary of this report will be presented during this webinar.

• (part 2) roadway curve marking/signing and high friction surface treatments
• (part 3) clear zone treatments and roadside hardware.