Update on United States Road

Assessment Program (usRAP)

SCOHTS MeetingMay 1, 2009

RESEARCH PLANS

“Safer drivers in safer vehicles on safer roads”

Road Assessment Programs

• 2000 - EuroRAP• 2003 - AusRAP• 2004 - usRAP• 2005 - iRAP• 2008 - CanRAP

usRAP Background

• Unacceptably high socio-economic toll from traffic crashes

• Culture of complacency• Under-investment in safety• No national system to assess road

safety exists• Politics vs. evidence-based decisions• Little transparency

usRAP Objectives

• Benchmark safety of road segments• Allocate resources based on risks

InfrastructureEnforcement

• Inform and provide guidance to motorists

• Foster Collaboration

Phase IPhase IIPhase III

usRAP Pilot States

Research Team Midwest Research Institute Iowa State University

usRAP Advisory Panel• AASHTO•AHUA & RSF•ATSSA•Auto Clubs•FHWA•ITE•NACE•Local/State Highway Agencies

usRAP Protocols

• Risk Mapping

• Road Protection Score

• Performance Tracking

Specialty Maps• Intersections• Older drivers• Novice drivers• Alcohol• Speed

Core Maps• Crash density• Crash rate• Crash rate

ratio• Potential

crash savings

Fatals and Serious Injuries

Risk Map-West of Orlando

Star Ratings based on Road Protection Score

• Provide star ratings based on safety features of specific sitesCrash LikelihoodCrash protection

• Can supplement and explain risk maps• Useful when crash data are limited • Identifies countermeasure options

Star Ratings based on Road Protection Score

• Star rating based on features related to:– head-on crashes– run-off-road crashes– intersection crashes

• Pilot tested in Phase I• Completing validation

Typical Inspection Vehicle

Hawkeye Processing Toolkit

Navteq Collaboration

• Navteq will provide video-logs• Joint project to reduce data and

produce RPS maps• Navteq – In vehicle navigation• AAAFTS – Free maps & countermeasure

options to public agencies• AAA – Triptiks

Outreach ProjectsUtah – • Multi-media campaign in collaboration with RSF & UDOT• Can a Public Information & Education program increase public support for road safety

investments?• usRAP maps used to explain risks

Genesse County – • Town hall meetings• Gauge consumer feedback on usRAP maps• Discuss road safety efforts

Applications of usRAP• Highway safety improvement plans• Performance “metrics”• 5% reports• High risk rural road grants• Guide resource allocation

InfrastructureEnforcement• Support asset management

One Death Is Unacceptable, One Death Every Thirteen Minutes Is An Outrage

• Compendium and synthesis available

• Ignited new national dialogue on issue

• National survey of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors

In- House Projects

National Rural Summit On Traffic Safety Culture

Where: Big Sky, MontanaWhen: Monday June 22, 2009Who: Western Transportation Institute,

Montana State University, Montana DOT, and AAAFTS

Why: Discuss role of Traffic Safety Culture in our society

http://www.meetingsnorthwest.com/TSCsummit.html

For more information, go to:

AAAFoundation.orgwww.usrap.us