Document Type

Technical Report

Publication Date

10-1-1998

Keywords

special population groups, highway safety, projection models, critical safety issues, countermeasures

Abstract

Although the United States has achieved dramatic progress in the past several decades in terms of highway safety, there is however still room for improvement. Each year, tens of thousands of people are killed and millions injured as a. result of highway crashes, which in tum pose considerable economic loss to society. One area of highway safety that deserves further consideration is in relation to special population groups.

This project concentrates on the highway safety needs of six special population groups: older drivers, school aged children, young drivers, international tourists, new immigrants and people with disabilities. Ranking of highway safety importance was developed among the selected groups and critical highway safety issues and concerns were identified for each of the special population groups. These two basic tasks were accomplished by conducting two statewide surveys in which transportation professionals in the highway safety area were consulted and their views concerning the critical highway safety issues of the selected special population groups were identified. A multi criteria decision making approach was used in prioritizing the identified issues and concerns for each group. Identified critical safety issues were analyzed in detail after reviewing the available literature in this area, and countermeasures suggested for the critical issues and concerns. Wherever applicable, suggested countermeasures were summarized in the form of a matrix.

Models were also developed for each special population group so that fatality or crash rates could be projected until the end of the study horizon. Two sets of models were developed at the national level for the United States and also for the state of Florida.

The results of this project are expected to be extremely useful in increasing the highway safety of the selected groups as well as the general driving population. This study provides guidelines in addressing the most important issues first, thereby having the greatest impact on highway safety.

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Evaluation of Highway Safety Needs of Special Population Groups - Phase 1, Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida, 156 p.

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