The incompatibility of Vision Zero and VMT growth

The U.S. transportation field has tried many things to reduce traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries: drunk-driving and seatbelt laws; in-vehicle safety improvements; wide, straight roads with crash zones; graduated licensing; and more. Yet traffic crashes still kill 35,000-40,000 Americans each year and injure millions. A new online resource that helps explain the situation. Fatalities are largely a function of miles driven, so you can’t be serious about Vision Zero without also being serious about VMT management.

Real-time crash prediction models: State-of-the-art, design pathways and ubiquitous requirements (Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2019)

With the advancements in artificial intelligence, and multiple studies being focused towards developing real-time crash prediction models, the concept of a proactive safety management system has become very close to reality. The linked study conducts an extensive review of the existing real-time crash prediction models, systematically illustrating the various methodologies being used world-wide. It evaluates the universality, design requirements, and associated challenges of various models. The study aims to be a “one stop knowledge source” for future researchers and practitioners for transitioning from the existing real-time crash prediction conceptual models to a real-world operational proactive traffic safety management system.

Real-time crash prediction models: State-of-the-art, design pathways and ubiquitous requirements (Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2019)

With the advancements in artificial intelligence, and multiple studies being focused towards developing real-time crash prediction models, the concept of a proactive safety management system has become very close to reality. The linked study conducts an extensive review of the existing real-time crash prediction models, systematically illustrating the various methodologies being used world-wide. It evaluates the universality, design requirements, and associated challenges of various models. The study aims to be a “one stop knowledge source” for future researchers and practitioners for transitioning from the existing real-time crash prediction conceptual models to a real-world operational proactive traffic safety management system.

Real-time crash prediction models: State-of-the-art, design pathways and ubiquitous requirements (Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2019)

With the advancements in artificial intelligence, and multiple studies being focused towards developing real-time crash prediction models, the concept of a proactive safety management system has become very close to reality. The linked study conducts an extensive review of the existing real-time crash prediction models, systematically illustrating the various methodologies being used world-wide. It evaluates the universality, design requirements, and associated challenges of various models. The study aims to be a “one stop knowledge source” for future researchers and practitioners for transitioning from the existing real-time crash prediction conceptual models to a real-world operational proactive traffic safety management system.

A systemic approach to pedestrian safety analysis

The rise in pedestrian fatalities over the last decade has alarmed DOTs and local planning organizations. However, the methodologies used to identify locations for improvements have continued to use the “hot spot” approach, where agencies focus on specific locations with historically high crash incidents, making this approach reactive rather than proactive. NCHRP recently released a guidebook that outlines a systemic approach for proactively identifying high risk zones and prioritizing countermeasures.

Climate change killing us in more ways than expected?

While the positive relationship between traffic crashes and extreme summer conditions is certainly not unheard of, it is rarely used in practice when designing policies or issuing roadway safety warnings. A recent study in Accident Analysis and Prevention shows that heat waves have a significant effect on the frequency of traffic crash fatalities. With climate change resulting in extreme temperatures all around the world, these studies highlight a pressing need for policy and safety interventions to adapt to changing conditions.

Learning from better bicycle/vehicle crash reporting: Improving safety and infrastructure

A recent study published in the journal Injury Prevention makes a strong case for better bicycle/motor vehicle crash reporting as a way to improve bicycling safety. The quality of these crash reports currently varies widely, with helmet use and use of other protective equipment being the only data consistently recorded across all fifty states. Additionally, inadequate reporting that leaves out essential crash-site details results in a poor understanding of the causes and remedies for these crashes. This knowledge gap limits the ability of facility designers and transportation planners to respond with improved facilities for all road users.

Rural routes more dangerous than those in urban areas

Rural areas, although home to less than 20 percent of the nation’s population, account for 55 percent of traffic fatalities, and largely rural states have the deadliest roadways. Despite the greater risk, according to a 2010 survey conducted by the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the University of Minnesota, drivers feel safer and more relaxed on these rural routes than on urban freeways

A Distance-Based Method to Estimate Annual Pedestrian and Bicyclist Exposure in an Urban Environment (FHWA, 2013)

This report describes a methodology for measuring pedestrian and bicyclist exposure based on counts of pedestrian and bicyclist volumes as well as the distances that pedestrians and bicyclists travel on facilities shared with motor vehicles. The distances that pedestrians and bicyclists travel on these facilities represent a measure of their exposure to the risk of having a crash with a motor vehicle.

Bike boxes and lanes may increase “right hook” crashes in some circumstances

A preliminary analysis of bike crashes at intersections in Portland with painted bike lanes, bike boxes, and bicycle-related signage has indicated that when placed on a downhill section of road, they may actually increase the number of bicycle/motor-vehicle crashes, especially during “stale” green lights.