FHWA is helping to put the brakes on fatalities with proven safety countermeasures



Brandye Hendrickson

By Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Brandye Hendrickson

At the Federal Highway Administration, a priority is for Kansans to have safe roads. Together with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and others, we are committed to eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways. This is no small feat, especially when you consider that more than 37,000 lives are lost on U.S. roads each year.

At FHWA, we believe these deaths are not only unacceptable. They are preventable.

One way FHWA is working to get us to zero deaths is by assisting states and localities to employ proven safety countermeasures. After years of testing and research, we now have 20 countermeasures/strategies that can be used to address issues related to roadway departure, intersection and pedestrian and bicycle crashes, including local road safety plans and rumble strips that can be used in Kansas and other parts of the country.

We all have a role to play in making sure our friends, neighbors and loved ones get to their destination safely in Kansas and elsewhere, which is why FHWA works closely with KDOT and others. We also coordinate with our counterparts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration to develop and implement effective safety programs.

But we also need the help of the traveling public. The safest highway in the world is of little use when drivers are drinking and then getting behind the wheel or texting while driving. The same applies to pedestrians who are distracted while walking, or bicyclists who ignore the rules of the road.

Proven safety countermeasures used by KDOT and other state DOTs can and will continue to make a difference in the years ahead and we’re committed to making them a staple of safety programs across the country. With these techniques, and the help of conscientious drivers, we can put the brakes on fatalities.

 

 

Put the brakes on fatalities



Brandye Hendrickson

By Acting Federal Highway Administrator Brandye Hendrickson

        As autumn approaches, daylight gets shorter, children head back to school and we all settle into new routines. Winter is right behind it, and icy weather can make roads more dangerous. For these, and many other reasons, it is crucial for drivers to behave responsibly behind the wheel. It is imperative we all put our cellphones away, buckle up and be conscientious about other drivers.
        Fortunately, though the calendar still says it is fall, America’s roads are blooming with new safety innovations.  From rumble strips to new “mumble” strips, to connected-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies, a host of cutting-edge tools are being deployed to keep drivers safer throughout the nation. We are also exploring a number of new safety data collection and analysis tools to help us track trends to better determine where safety investments should be made.
        All of us at the FHWA are working with the Kansas DOT and other state and local counterparts to address the challenge of making America’s highways safer – and to reduce America’s roadway fatalities each year. As is widely known, there were 35,092 fatalities on America’s roads in 2015. That is absolutely unacceptable. While we have spent years improving construction, repair and overall design of roads and bridges, most roadway fatalities are not due to the road but, instead, to driver error. Too many drivers are texting, drinking or just behaving recklessly behind the wheel. Sometimes pedestrians or bicyclists are not paying attention either.
        So while futuristic-sounding “autonomous vehicles” may help make our roads safer, we must continue to work with our partners in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Departments of Transportation in each state to educate the public. We ask that you join us on the road to zero to end roadway fatalities. We all must do a better job of promoting a very simple concept – members of the public must recognize the responsibilities they carry when using our roads. With the FMCSA, NHTSA and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the FHWA is an active member of the Road To Zero Coalition and hopes you will be too.
        Please help us put the brakes on fatalities, because any roadway fatality is too many.