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A. George OstensenFHWA Office of Safety

8 January 2005

White House Conference on Aging Listening Session

USDOT- FHWA Perspective: Infrastructure,

Operations & Safety

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Today’s Presentation

• Where is FHWA on Older Road User issues

• Highlight 2 current initiatives

• Some ongoing Challenges

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FHWA Older Road User Activities

• Early attention

– FHWA Safety and Mobility for an Aging Population

• Specific Activities

– 1997 - FHWA Older Driver Highway Design Handbook & Guidelines

– 1999 - FHWA Older Road User Workshops

– 2000 & 2003 - Revised Highway Standards

– Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

– AASHTO Green Book

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FHWA Older Road User Activities

• Recent Initiatives

– 2001 - Revised FHWA Handbook & guidelines

– 2003 - Guidance for AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan Implementation

– 2003 - Demonstration projects to evaluate the effectiveness of older road user guidelines

– 2004 - Travel Better, Travel Longer Pocket Guide

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FHWA Older Road User Workshop

• Describe/demonstrate age-related changes to eng’rs & other highway safety professionals.

• Recommendations and how to use the handbook

• Practice application through case studies

• Almost 3000 practitioners trained in 45 States.

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•Arizona DOT – pedestrian safety

•Washington DOT – signs/signals/markings

•Massachusetts Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau - work zone safety

FHWA Demonstration Projects

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• FHWA is assisting States in taking a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving highway safety.

• Every State needs to determine how to address the older road user safety issues in their State.

• SAFETEA provides additional funds for safety improvements, including those that will improve safety for older road users.

Comprehensive Highway Safety Plans

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• Working with broad spectrum of highway safety professionals – Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services – to move the numbers using a multidisciplinary, comprehensive approach

• Expanding awareness of older road users’ needs and implementation of appropriate infrastructure solutions that help ALL road users.

Ongoing Challenges

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• Improvements that help older users help everyone

• FHWA has researched, identified and promoted infrastructure changes

• We are working with partners to improve safety and mobility of older road users and all road users

• FHWA encourages States to develop Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan to identify safety problems

Summary