Highway Safety in Pennsylvania Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Regional Safety Task Force Meeting October 1, 2008 Gary Modi, PE Chief, Safety Management Division BHSTE
PA Annual Fatalities 1,700 Pennsylvania Highway Fatality Trend Total Traffic Related Fatalities According to the historical trend line, total traffic fatalities have been increasing at a rate of 1 per year since 1998. r = 0.0714 Fatalities 1,600 1,500 1,400 1,300 1,200 1, 1,617 1,616 1,549 1,577 1,520 1,532 1,525 1,486 1,490 1,491 1,450 1,350 1,250 1,150 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Year Observed Trend (linear fit) Goals Upper 95% Confidence Low er 95% Confidence Upper 67.5% Confidence Low er 67.5% Confidence
PA Annual Fatality Rate Pennsylvania Highway Fatality Trend Total Traffic Related Fatality Rate According to the historical trend line, the fatality rate has been decreasing by 0.01 per year since 1998. 1.60 r = -0.6136 Fatality Rate 1.55 1.50 1.45 1.40 1.35 1.48 1.54 1.48 1.50 1.56 1.50 1.40 1.51 1.41 1.38 1.30 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Observed Upper 95% Confidence Upper 67.5% Confidence Low er 67.5% Confidence Low er 95% Confidence Trend (linear fit)
PA 2007 Highway Fatalities Summary Lowest Number of Fatalities in 10 years Unrestrained Fatalities Alcohol-Related Crashes Hit Tree Crashes Hit Utility Pole Crashes Head-On / Opposite Direction Side Swipe Crashes Intersection Crashes Running Red Light Crashes Crashes Involving Drivers Age 75+
PA 2007 Highway Fatalities Summary Greatest Increase Statewide, 2006 2007 Aggressive Driving Crashes Speeding-related Crashes Hit Guiderail Crashes Motorcycle-related Crashes
Comprehensive Strategic Highway Safety Improvement Plan (CSHSIP) Vital Six Safety Focus Areas Reducing Aggressive Driving Reducing Impaired (DUI) Driving Increasing Seatbelt Use Safety Infrastructure Improvements Reducing Roadway Departure & Intersection Crashes Improving the Crash Records System Improving Pedestrian Safety Emerging Areas Motorcycle Safety Senior Driver Safety
2007 Fatalities per MPO/RPO 350 03-07 Baseline Average vs. 2009 Fatality Goals MPO and RPO Fatalities by Region 300 250 200 150 Fatalities 50 0 Franklin Erie Shenango Valley SW PA Comission Johnstown Altoona Centre Williamsport Harrisburg Scranton-Wilkes Barre Lehigh Valley Reading Lebanon York Lancaster DVRPC Northwest North Central Northern Tier Seda-cog S. Alleghenies Adams N. PA Alliance MPO/RPO 03-07 Average Fatalities 2007 Actual Fatalities 2009 Goals
PennDOT District 6-0 District 6-0 Total Fatalities 400 350 366 Avg 324 300 250 321 300 313 319 200 150 50 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
PennDOT District 6-0 Highest Fatalities in 2007 Aggressive Driving Crashes (183) Single Vehicle Run-Off-the-Road Crashes (132) Alcohol-Related Crashes (117) Hit Fixed Object Crashes (111) Intersection Crashes () Unrestrained Fatalities (90) Speeding Crashes (82) Local Road (only) Crashes (78) Pedestrian Crashes (62) Hit Tree Crashes (58)
Dist 6-0 Aggressive Driving Fatalities Dist 6-0 Run-Off-The-Road Fatalities 200 180 195 190 185 180 175 170 165 195 173 175 185 Avg 182 183 160 140 120 80 60 40 20 171 128 134 119 Avg 137 132 160 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Dist 6-0 Alcohol-Related Fatalities Dist 6-0 Hit Fixed Object Fatalities 140 120 80 60 40 126 108 95 97 Avg 109 117 160 140 120 80 60 40 148 109 118 Avg 117 111 20 20 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Dist 6-0 Intersection-Related Fatalities Dist 6-0 Unbelted Fatalities 140 140 120 80 60 120 111 89 122 Avg 108 120 80 60 120 97 90 82 Avg 96 90 40 40 20 20 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Dist 6-0 Speeding-Related Fatalities Dist 6-0 Local Road (Only) Fatalities 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 80 82 76 70 Avg 74 63 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 89 Avg 76 82 78 78 49 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
PennDOT District 6-0 Greatest Decrease in District 6-0, 2006 2007 Hit Utility Pole Crashes (39 to 27 fatalities) Stop-Controlled Intersection Crashes (37 to 17 fatalities) Intersection Crashes (122 to fatalities)
Safety Countermeasures: Behavioral Ignition Interlock Program Impaired (DUI) Driving Seat Belt Use Aggressive Driving
Safety Countermeasures: Infrastructure Pedestrian Countdown Signals Rumble Strips Utility Pole Relocation/Consolidation Advanced Curve Warning Pavement Markings Yield to Pedestrian Channelizing Devices
Significantly Reduce Fatalities 1. Centerline rumble strips on all traffic routes with greater than 5,000 ADT (2,500 miles) 2. Edgeline/shoulder rumble strips on all traffic routes with greater than 5,000 ADT (2,750 miles) 3. Address Top 5% Crash Locations (4 in District 6-0) 4. Local Road Low Cost Safety Improvements (2,000 locations) 5. Interstate/Expressway Median Barrier at Dual Structures (50 locations) 6. Cable Median Guide Rail at High Incidence Crossover Locations (15 miles) 7. Aggressive Driving Smooth Operator Program
Future Initiatives 1. How do we make all partners/stakeholders own the safety goals? 2. How do we motivate and sustain safety efforts by all partners? 3. How do we truly combine the 4 E s and address them at high-crash locations?
Future Initiatives 4. How do we track the progress towards meeting our goals by establishing leading indicators and not lagging indicators? 5. Marketing safety 6. Action plan with specific times and owners
Questions? Gary Modi, PE Chief, Safety Management Division Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering gmodi@state.pa.us / 717-787-6853