Traffic Safety

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Traffic Safety

• David Richardson, CSP

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What is Traffic Safety?

• Traffic is
• A group of individual drivers manipulating their
  vehicles on common streets and highways.
• Traffic Safety
• The manner in which drivers handle their vehicles
  in spacing and speed.
• Defensive Driving Skills
• Over half of the Utah drivers killed in two-car
  accidents were not at fault.

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Impact on Society

• Lives and Lifestyle
• 46,200 Deaths
• 2,400,000 Injuries
• 10,900,000 Accidents
• Economic Costs
• Property Damage 7,400
• Injury 49,700
• Death 1,130,000
• Comprehensive Impact
• No Injury 2,100
• Incapacitating Injury 188,000
• Death 3,760,000

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Workers Compensation

• Transportation Related
• High in All Sectors
• Overall 42 of costs
• (240 Billion)
• Transportation 77
• Construction 26
• (Falls 31)
• Education / Health 55
• Professional 38
• Financial Services 36

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Changing Trends
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Factors Affecting Change

• Drivers
• Skills / Education
• Age Groups
• Rules
• Vehicles
• Size / Structure
• Engineering
• Roads
• Multilane Highways
• Traffic Control Systems
• Congestion
• Rural to Urban
• Migration Factors
• Other

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Three Key Factors

• Alcohol
• 40 of Fatalities
• 18 Day / 61 Night
• 1 in 13 above .08
• Weekend 1 in 7
• Speed
• 17.6 Fatal 12.5 All
• Seat Belts

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Alcohol Related
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Alcohol Peaks
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Speeding

• Kinetic Energy
• Ek ½mv²
• 55 mph vs. 75 mph

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Speeding

• Braking / Friction
• WorkFriction -½mv²
• Coefficient of Friction Variables
• Tires, Surface, Braking Systems

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Seat Belts

• Primary Enforcement 85
• Secondary Enforcement 75
• 62 Fatal for 20 of Drivers
• 6.5 to 7.3 Times Higher

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Synergistic Effects

• Night
• Alcohol
• Speed
• No Seat Belt

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Human Error or Normal Behavior?

• How People Make Decisions
• ABC Model of Behavioral Safety
• Antecedent
• Conscious vs. Unaware
• Behavior
• Correct vs. Incorrect
• Consequence
• Known vs. Unknown
• Primary / Secondary Motivators
• Soon, Certain, Positive
• Later, Uncertain, Negative

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Driver Re-Education

• Initial Driver Education and Licensing
• 6 Hours Behind Wheel
• 12 Hours Observing
• Learners Permit
• Test Course
• CDL Similar
• Shortage of Drivers
• Many are 0-3 years

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Driving Courses

• Defensive Driving Course
• The Smith System
• Company Training
• Commercial Courses
• State Driver Handbooks

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Scenarios

• Situation
• Results
• Behaviors
• Reasons for Behaviors
• Better Methods

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1 Tailing the Trucks

• Four vehicles are following two loaded and one
  empty semi trucks at 65 mph on a two-lane road.
• Each is spaced at about 80 ft. (4 car lengths).
• Deer crossing warning signs are posted.
• Three deer 1/8 mile ahead jump from the right
  embankment and cross the highway.
• The lead truck driver applies brakes and lets the
  deer cross.
• What happens to the first car?
• The other vehicles?
• What happens if the deer enter at 200 yards
  ahead and stand in the lane?

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2 Cloverleaf

• A cloverleaf interchange is ahead on freeway.
• 65 mph limit drops to 25 mph for cloverleaf lane.
  
• Rush hour conditions exist.
• The driver plans to exit at the cloverleaf to
  travel left on the intersecting freeway.
• What are pros and cons of cloverleaf
  interchanges?
• What are pros and cons of on-ramp/off-ramp
  style?
• What are other systems?

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3 Cross Country Crowd

• Holiday weekend has commenced.
• Traffic moderately congested on 70 mph rural
  freeway.
• Distance to travel is 280 miles.
• Cars are mixed with truck traffic over long,
  gradual hills. Trucks leapfrog cars on downhill
  grades.
• Driver is in the middle of the pack and sees
  clear traffic ½ mile ahead and ½ mile behind.
• What controls can be taken? Would that affect
  trip?
• How would this scenario be handled on a two-lane
  50 mile mountain road posted at 65 mph?

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4a Just Passing By -- Part I

• Moderate rural freeway traffic on a weekday.
• The driver follows a truck ahead while going 70
  mph in a 70 mph zone. The truck is going about
  68-69 mph.
• The driving distance for the remainder of the
  trip is 210 miles.
• Should the driver pass the truck? If so, how?
  What are the risks?

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4b Just Passing By -- Part II

• In a similar scenario on a city freeway, the
  driver follows a truck which is going 63 mph
  during heavy rush-hour traffic.
• The posted speed limit is 65 mph. It is 10 miles
  to the drivers planned exit.
• The driver and truck ahead are in the second lane
  from the right on a five lane freeway. There are
  five exits before the drivers.
• Other lanes to the left are congested 70 mph
  heavy traffic with about 1 second between
  vehicles.
• What are options? What time will be saved or
  lost by each option. Are there other means to
  improve the time.

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5 Its Late, Its Early

• After working all day, driver returns home at
  1115 p.m.
• The distance is 45 miles.
• Eyes are dry, tired, and strained.
• The glare from oncoming traffic lights is
  uncomfortable.
• What are risks and controls?
• Driver leaves at 530 a.m. the next week for an 8
  a.m. meeting 120 miles away.
• After 65 miles the driver starts yawning with
  heavy eyes.
• Driver had been up until midnight preparing last
  minute items.
• What are risks and controls?

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6 I Cant See

• The overnight forecast is for patchy fog in the
  morning.
• While passing industrial plants on freeway, the
  driver notices several brake lights of vehicles
  about 1 mile ahead.
• What are potential risks?
• Are there immediate controls?
• What alternative options are/were there?
• Are they feasible?

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7 Highway Work Zone

• Driver approaches a 55 mph work zone on a 65 mph
  freeway.
• Road narrows to two lanes. Driver slows 55 mph.
  Other vehicles pass on left at 65 mph.
• A driver in a SUV follows impatiently at 1 car
  length distance, flashing headlights. A
  semi-truck follows the SUV at 1 second distance.
  
• What should driver do? What are the risks in
  this scenario?
• What, if anything, should the driver do when
  approaching workers who are working within two
  feet of barricades?

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8 Pilots and Flags

• Ahead in the road, traffic is stopped for a
  construction zone, and is waiting for the pilot
  car escort. The line is about ½ mile long.
• The delay continues another ten minutes, while
  another ½ mile of vehicles line up behind the
  driver. Eventually the pilot car arrives and
  escorts the long line of vehicles through the
  3-mile zone.
• One mile beyond the zone, the group of cars clear
  the opposite waiting line and vehicles behind the
  driver attempt to pass others in the line.
• What are the benefits and risks for those
  passing others?
• What are some controls?

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9 A Change Deserves a Rest

• A driver experiences the following changing
  conditions. What are the risks and controls of
  each?
• Sunny skies, to light rain, to heavy rain.
• Dry roads, to light snow, to heavy snow.
• Wet daytime roads, to black ice at night.
• Light rain, to freezing rain.
• Daylight, to dusk, to dark.

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10 Ring Ring

• Driver on a city street hears cell phone ring.
• Driver on a rural freeway needs to call office on
  cell phone.
• What about food, snacks, cassettes, CDs, radio
  knobs, temperature controls, mirrors?
• What about talking with passengers?
• Are there benefits and risks?
• What are controls?

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Questions?