ATSSA Signal November December 2020

The Signal | November/December 2020 25 Innovation “Safety isnot just a talkingpoint for us. Our membersareout theremanning thework zone, controlling traffic. It is their livelihood day in andday out,” Smith said. “We don’t just talksafety.We live it andwebreathe it.” SAFER ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE Building better roads is one piece of the safety puzzle, and the Strategic Highway SafetyPlans (SHSPs) requiredby theFHWA providestateDOTsanopportunity tobring together stakeholder groups to find solu - tions to safety concerns. Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation, hasbeenworkingformore than a year tofinalize its 2020–2024 SHSP, witha goal of zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries in the state by 2050. The $20 billion spending plan includes a proposed$2.1billionforcollision-reduction measuresonstatehighways through2024, according to Caltrans public information officials, who providewritten answers to questions from ATSSA. Those measures include center dividing barriers, bike and pedestrian facilities, rumble strips, and geometric changes to highway design to lower collision potential. Inupdating their SHSPs, it’s important for stateDOTs togain involvement from local governments,whichareoftenresponsible for themaintenance of smaller andmore accident-prone roads, saidATSSA’s Smith. Smith said that Minnesota, which also updated its SHSP this year, did a particu- larlygood jobof bringing counties into the safety planprocess, and ensuring that all countieshaveasafetyplan tohelpcombat roadway fatalities. “It’s incredibly important,” he said. “The fatality rate on rural versus non-rural roads is nearly 2.5 times greater.” CHANGING DRIVER BEHAVIOR Nomatter howsafely a road is built, elim- inating vehicle crashes depends on the behavior of the personbehind thewheel. Intherecentuptick in2020 fatalities, driver behavior was amajor factor. ATSSA’s Texas Chapter provides a great example on the driver behavior front, Smith said. In 2019, the chapter lobbied the legislature to addprivate contractors to the state’s “MoveOver, SlowDown” law, which requires drivers tomove over one landandslowdownwhenapproachinglaw enforcement, first responder, and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) vehicles thatarestoppedwithflashingblue or amber lights. ATSSAalso advocates for increasedbehavioral safetygrant funding at the federal level. This year,Missouri receivednational recog- nition for a public safety campaign that seeks to curb two deadly driver behav- iors: phone use while driving and failure to use a seat belt. MoDOT developed the “Buckle Up Phone Down” campaign in 2017 and createdmaterials to help other states use it. “Nobehavioronourroadwaysismorealarm- ing than distracted driving. And even the most attentive drivers put themselves at riskwhen theydon’t buckle their seat belt,” MoDOT’SMcKenna said. “The ‘BuckleUp PhoneDown’ initiativeplacesanemphasis onpersonal responsibility and twoof the most effective actions drivers can take to stay safewhengettingbehind thewheel— buckling their seat beltsandputtingdown their cellphones. Themovement contains a simplemessagewith life-saving results.” In 2019, McKenna said, Missouri’s annual seat belt survey reported 88%of Missou- rians used a seat belt, the highest usage rate in the state’s history. “Overall, we are making significant prog - ress. If you look back 25 years ago, we are leaps andbounds ina safer environment,” Smithsaid. “Thingsare tickinguphereand there in the wrong direction, but we also havetokeep lookingat thehorizonandthe broader movement toward zero deaths. Between infrastructure safety and better vehiclesafety,wearemakingprogress.”  ToreachEmilyFreehling ,communications@atssa.com .