How it Helps
Implementing
Traffic Facilities:
Traffic facilities should be installed to regulate traffic on congested roads and give a clear distinction of the road lanes. As a result, this will reduce the incidence of transportation hazards and guarantee safety for all road users.
Education:
Increasing awareness of safe travel behaviors should be prioritized. This will educate drivers on safe travel behaviors such as avoiding calls and texts, avoiding alcohol and drugs, and always wearing a seat belt. This may also educate people on the safety of traffic precautions when driving.
Enforcement of Traffic Laws:
Enforcement of traffic laws is key to keeping people safe on the roads. Exceeding speed limits, driving while distracted, and not wearing a seat belt are the leading causes of death and severe injuries on the road. Therefore, enforcing these traffic laws will help keep these things from happening and reduce the rate of fatal accidents on roads.3
Road Infrastructure:
When planning for safety, changes to the way roads are designed, built, and maintained can make a big difference in how safe they are. Road surfaces that are not good quality or are getting worse can damage cars and put road users in danger. Unclear traffic signs, wrong lane markings, bad road surfaces, and bad road designs are dangerous, leading to higher crash rates. Fortunately, a lot can be done to make roads safer. For example, the safety of road intersections is greatly improved when traffic lights are replaced with roundabouts.4
Challenges:
Behavioral issues are one of the most challenging road safety problems to solve because they involve people’s attitudes, beliefs, and ways of living. Most of the time, unsafe driving and bad behavior are common on the roads. This is sometimes blamed on how most drivers think, act, and behave.5 Additionally, some people have trouble driving carefully because they misunderstand safety signs or when signals are placed in the wrong place on the road.
Examples
1) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is a large transportation body involved in the prevention of motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. FMCSA contributes to ensuring safety in motor carrier operations through strong enforcement of safety regulations and integrating safety in transportation planning. FMCSA targets high-risk carriers and commercial motor vehicle drivers, improves safety information system and technologies, and also increases safety awareness among all drivers and road users.
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/about-us
2) The National Safety Council (NSC)
The National Safety Council (NSC) is a prominent non-profit organization in the United States that strives to ensure that everyone is safe by focusing on workplace, highway, and impairment concerns. The NSC assists organizations in developing a safety culture that will make people safer in the workplace and beyond.
3) Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a national organization with the primary goal of ensuring road safety and integrating safety in transportation planning. FHA implemented the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), which aimed to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on roads. This strategy embraces a Safe System Approach, which builds multiple layers of protection around road users and is based on the reality that although people make mistakes, those mistakes do not have to be fatal.