A presentation given at NADO's 2022 National Regional Transportation Conference.

1. Jaime Sullivan, Director
National RegionalTransportation
Conference 2022
Safe System
Approach for Rural
Regions

2. Key Takeaways for Today
 Introduction to the National Center for Rural Road Safety
 Importance of Rural Road Safety
 Compare a traditional safety approach and the Safe System
Approach
 Identify the importance of safety culture in applying the Safe
System Approach
 View the 5 Safe System elements from a rural perspective
 List examples and resources being used in rural areas
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3. National Center for Rural Road Safety
FHWA Center of Excellence
Established in Dec. 2014
Next Generation Center
 New operations started Feb. 1, 2022
 Updated management team
 (Some) new partners
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4. What We Do
All rural road safety, all the time
Focus on local practitioners
Rural road safety resources and tech assistance
Multi-disciplinary training
National connections
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5. Resources
Webinars
Socials
Safety Sidekick
Newsroom
Training E-blasts
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@ruralroadsafety
www.ruralsafetycenter.or
g

6. Rural Road Safety Awareness Week 2022
 What’s Unique About Rural Road Safety?
 The Safe System Approach for Rural Roads
 Proven Safety Countermeasures for Rural Roads
 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Rural Road
Safety
 The Intersection of Rural Road Safety and
Public Health
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Download graphics here:
https://ruralsafetycenter.org/rural-
road-safety-awareness-week-2022/

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8. Defining Rural
Local = Describes the
jurisdiction that
owns/manages the roads
Rural = Describes the location
and context of the road and
community
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Data Source: Public Road Length Excel Sheet with 2014 Data provided by NY LTAP. Photo Source: Neil Hetherington, WTI

9. Aren’t all Rural Communities the Same?
Graphic Source: NCHRP 20-122
 Exurban
 Tourism-based
 Resource-based
 Older-age
 Beyond the “lower 48”
 Tribal lands & Alaska native
 Frontier/remote
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10. Rural/Urban Comparison
Data Source: FARS 2018 Annual Report File (ARF); 2010 Census; FHWA Office of Highway Policy Information, Highway Statistics 2018 , ROUTES
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11. The Rural Story
 Crash Types
 Single vehicle rollovers
 Rural roadway departure
 Head-on crashes
 Human Behaviors
 Speed
 Posted speed limit
 Unrestrained
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Photo Source: Neil Hetherington, WTI and Jaime Sullivan, WTI

12. Rural Road Infrastructure
Photo Source: Neil Hetherington, WTI and Jaime Sullivan, WTI
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13. Rural Modes
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Photo Source: Jaime Sullivan, WTI
Different vehicle mix
Freight
Lack of options mobility
Older vehicles

14. Road Users
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Photo Source: Jaime Sullivan, WTI and Neil Hetherington, WTI

15. Rural Behaviors and Culture
 Different risk perception
 Belief that enforcement is less likely
 Need rural specific safety campaigns
 Helping neighbors
 Social ties to community can hinder enforcement
efforts
 Resistance to top-down initiatives
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16. Unique Challenges of Rural Road Safety
Resources and funding
Data
Communication and power infrastructure
Geographical jurisdictions
Post-crash care
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17. Post it Note Exercise
What’s Unique About Rural Road Safety?
In this unique road setting, how can rural
roads become safe for all road users?
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18. August 13,
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19. Safe System Approach
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Graphic Source: FHWA
 Different way to think about road
safety problem
 Holistic approach
 Aims to eliminate fatal and
serious injuries for all road users
 Accommodates human mistakes
 Keeps impacts on the human
body at tolerable levels

20. Traditional approach Safe System approach
Reduce crashes Eliminate fatalities and serious injuries
Improve human behavior Design for human mistakes/limitations
Speed management Kinetic Energy Management
Individuals are responsible Share responsibility
Apply countermeasures at
high crash locations
Proactively apply countermeasures in
a “systemic” approach
20
Paradigm Shift
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Efficient Mobility Safe Mobility

21. Safe System
Approach
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Graphic Source: FHWA

22. The 6 Safe System Principles
Death/serious injury is
unacceptable
Humans make
mistakes
Humans are
vulnerable
Responsibility is
shared
Safety is proactive Redundancy
is crucial
22
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23. Impact of Safety
42,915 estimated
roadway
fatalities in
~118 roadway
fatalities/day
~7 roadway
fatalities during
this workshop
Data Source: NHTSA 2022
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24. What is the right number?
There’s No One SomeoneWon’t Miss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k
2tOye9DKdQ
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Source: Transport Accident Commission Victoria
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25. Discussion Question
If you had the opportunity to implement a feature
that would reduce the number of fatalities and
serious injuries by 50%,but would double the total
number of minor crashes …
would you do it…yes or no?
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26. Applying Human Factors
The system owners and
operators should strive to make
it easy for humans to not make
mistakes by designing roads
and vehicles to be in tune with
human competencies.
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https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rural/training/docs/fhwasa20071.pdf
http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/167909.aspx

27. Aren’t All Drivers the Same?
Competence + Human FactorsVariables =
Capability
Competence
 Innate abilities born with
 Life Experiences
Human FactorsVariables
 Attitudes
 Behaviors
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Photo Source: FHWA

28. Traffic Safety Culture
 The shared beliefs (including
values, assumptions, etc.) of a
group which affect behaviors
related to safety
 A belief system is based on
thoughts which are not
observable
 To change behaviors, we must
change beliefs
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Graphic Source: CHSC

29. Discussion Question
Why are people killed and
seriously injured on the roads?
 People are killed and seriously injured on the roads
when the collision forces transferred onto the human
body exceed tolerable thresholds.
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30. Humans are Vulnerable
The human body has a limited physical ability to
tolerate crash forces before harm occurs.
Under the Safe System approach, the roadway
operating conditions are managed to prevent
those large forces.
Designing safer roads is an exercise of managing
kinetic energy.
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31. Kinetic Energy =
1
2
𝑚𝑣2
Source: FHWA
Graphic Source: FHWA
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Velocity is aVector
- Speed
- Direction (angle of impact)

32. Example: Roundabouts vs
Signalized Intersections
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Lower Speeds
Lower Impact
Angles
Fewer Conflict
Points
Graphic Source: FHWA

33. Creating a More Forgiving Road System
System Managers
Vehicle Manufacturers
Law Enforcement
Post-Crash Care
System Users
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Graphic Source: FHWA

34. Foundation – Framework - Goal
Graphic Source: ARA
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35. Linking Safety Culture to SSA
Safe System Principles
1. Death & serious injury is
unacceptable
2. Humans make mistakes
3. Humans are vulnerable
4. Responsibility is shared
5. Safety is proactive
6. Redundancy is crucial
Graphic Source: ARA and FHWA
Organizational Safety
Culture
the shared beliefs
(including values,
assumptions, etc.) of an
organization which affect
behaviors related to safety.
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36. A Holistic Approach to
include in all Processes
Rural Perspective
 Systemic Safety Analysis
 Road Safety Audits
 Local Road Safety Plans
 Safety Coalitions
Graphic Source: FHWA
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=1Gtz0qjPx0M
https://safety.fhwa.do
t.gov/LRSPDIY/
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www.ruralsafetycenter.org

37. Safe Streets and Roads
for All (SS4A) Grant
Program
Funds regional, local and Tribal initiatives to
prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries
Visit www.transportation.gov/SS4A to:
• Find resources, FAQs and application information
• Watch recorded “How to Apply” Webinars from June
Applications are due September 15, 2022

38. Swiss Cheese Model
The “SwissCheese Model” of redundancy
creates layers of protection
Death and serious injuries only happen
when all layers fail
Post-crash care
Safe roads
Safe
speeds
Safe
vehicles
Safe road
users
Post-crash care
Safe roads
Safe
speeds
Safe
vehicles
Safe road
users
Image Source: FHWA
Adapted from James Reason’s model for analyzing accident causation
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.1990.0090
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Graphic Source: FHWA

39. SSA: 5 Elements
Safe Road Users
SafeVehicles
Safe Speeds
Safe Roads
Post-Crash Care
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Graphic Source: FHWA

40. Safe Road User Element
A Rural Perspective
 Variety of road users
 Bicyclists and pedestrians
 Horse and buggies
 Agricultural equipment
 Motorcycles
 Transit
 Tourists unfamiliar with the area
 Aging population
 Different perceptions/safety
mindset
Photo Source: Jaime Sullivan, WTI
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41. Safe Road Users
As a road user, we need to
have a safety mindset or
positive safety culture
Safe driving behaviors
Follow rules
Act within the limits of the
road design
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Safety Culture = The beliefs
we share with other people
in our social groups that
influence driving decisions.

42. Prioritize Safety: Start with Me
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43. Safe Road User Element
Rural Resources & Examples
https://wtsc.wa.gov/pro
grams-priorities/tribes/
https://ruraldesignguide.c
om/
https://findmedriving.com/
https://ruralsafetycenter.o
rg
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44. Safe Vehicle Element
A Rural Perspective & Examples
 Personal vehicles
 Drivers 70 and older tend to drive older,
smaller vehicles not equipped with
important safety features (IIHS)
 Leveraging connected and automated
vehicle (CAV) technology to improve
safety
 WY connected vehicle pilot
 CO autonomous traffic mobile attenuator
truck
 MO real-time digital warning system on
motorist assist vehicles
Graphic Source: FHWA Statistics source: https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/retirement-vehicles-raise-the-risk-of-crash-fatalities-for-older-drivers
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45. Safe Speed Element
Why is speed a safety problem?
 “without speed there can be no
movement, but with speed comes
kinetic energy and with kinetic energy
and human error come crashes, injuries,
and even deaths.”
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Quote Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

46. Relationship of Speed to Likelihood of
Survival
Graphic Source: FHWA
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47. Judging Speed
Graphic Source: FHWA
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48. Closure Collision Time
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49. Safe Speed Element
A Rural Perspective
 Not about universally reducing speeds
 Designing to meet user expectancies
 Self-explaining roads
 Self-enforcing roads
 Matching speed appropriate to the road
conditions that exist
 Vulnerable road users
 Curves
 Tourist areas
 Weather
Source: FHWA
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50. Safe Speed Element
Rural Resources & Examples
Photo Sources: Jaime Sullivan, WTI (top) and FHWA (bottom) and graphic source: FHWA
Speed Feedback Signs
Variable Speed Limits
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https://www.ite.org/pub/?id=BCD
0260A-BF52-D7D0-44BD-
1C3CBE531AE8

51. Safe Road Element Discussion
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Through the safe system lens, what is a safe road?
What does it look like?
 Minimizing instances of conflict (for all users)
 Manage impact angles
 Manage impact energy distribution
 Forgiving roadway and roadsides relative to the speed
environment
 Separate users in space
 Separate users in time
 Increase attentiveness and awareness
 Manage speed

52. Safe Road Element
Continuum – not an absolute
Design and operate roads to
continuously approach toward creating a Safe
System by implementing features appropriate for
the intended and actual road use and speed
environment
 reduce the risk of error
 manage crash levels within tolerable levels avoiding
sever outcomes
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Source: FHWA

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54. Safe Road Element Countermeasures
Rural Resources
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https://www.nhtsa.gov/site
s/nhtsa.gov/files/2021-
09/15100_Countermeasur
es10th_080621_v5_tag.pd
f
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/
https://www.nsc.org/
road/resources/road-
to-zero/doubling-
down-on-what-
works#:~:text=The
%20Road%20to%20
Zero%20Coalition%
20bases%20its%20w
ork%20on%20a,in%
20the%20US%20by
%202050.

55. Safe Road Element
Rural Resources & Examples
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/FoR
RRwD/RwDPocketGuide.pdf
Driving FoRRRwD to a Safe System
(https://youtu.be/rpXxLSbmtU0)
Graphic Sources: FHWA
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56. Safe Road Element
Complete Streets for
Rural AreasWebinar
July 27 1-2:30 pm ET
www.ruralsafetycenter.org
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www.tribalsafety.org

57. Post-Crash Care Element
A Rural Perspective
 Golden hour
 Identification and notification of crash
 Large geographic regions
 Regionalizing hospitals
Graphic Source: FHWA (post-crash)
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58. August 13,
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59. Post-Crash Care Element
Rural Resources
Data Sources, Webinars, & Partners
https://ruralsafetycenter.org/rural-
road-safety-awareness-week-
2022/the-intersection-of-rural-road-
safety-and-public-health/
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Coming Soon:
Rural Lesson on Traffic
Incident Management
https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/tim/

60. Discussion Questions
What would it look like if we designed our roads
for safety and not speed?
Of the 5 Safe System Elements, which one is the
most important?
When can my organization start implementing?
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61. Resources to Explore on Your Safe System Journey
National Center for Rural Road Safety
www.ruralsafetycenter.org
Road to Zero
https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/get-involved/road-to-zero
Toward Zero Deaths &Traffic Safety Culture
https://www.towardzerodeaths.org/traffic-safety-culture/
Vision Zero Network
https://visionzeronetwork.org/
Center for Health and Safety Culture
https://chsculture.org/
FHWA’s Safe System Materials
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/zerodeaths/zero_deaths_vision.cfm
ITE’s Safe System Material
https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/topics/safe-systems/
Road to Zero’s Double Down onWhat Works Page
https://www.nsc.org/road/resources/road-to-zero/doubling-down-on-
what-works
FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/
NHTSA’s Countermeasure that Work
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/57466
FoRRRwd
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/FoRRRwd/
LRSP DIY Site
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/LRSPDIY/
Rural Opportunities to UseTransportation for Economic Success
(ROUTES)
https://www.transportation.gov/rural

62. Jaime Sullivan, Director
jaime@ruralsafetycenter.org
Thank you!
Questions?