1

Safety in Planning: Data Needs Safety in Planning: Data Needs from a Rural Perspective (Iowa) from a Rural Perspective (Iowa)

Traffic Records ForumTraffic Records ForumSession 10Session 10July 2004July 2004

Michael D. Pawlovich, Ph.D., P.E.Traffic Safety and Crash Analysis Engineer

Office of Traffic and SafetyIowa Dept. of Transportation

Michael.Pawlovich@dot.state.ia.us

(see also Session 23, Tom Welch, The Iowa Perspective)

2

How is the Data UsedHow is the Data Used AASHTO-based topics Single-vehicle ROR Milled shoulder rumble

strips 4’ paved shoulder policy Offset right-turn lanes Passing lanes More/longer turn lanes Rural, 2-lane corridors Low cost improvements

– Curve signs/chevrons– Curve improvements– High crash curve locations

Candidate Safety Projects– Paved shoulders– Milled shoulder rumble

strips– 2-lane shoulder widening– Severe crash 2-lane, rural

roads– High crash curves– Centerline rumble strips– Cross-median, head-on– Severe crash intersections– Expressway intersections– Older driver-oriented

improvements– (7 ROR-related)

(Session 23, Tom Welch, The Iowa Model)

3

How is the Data UsedHow is the Data Used Vehicle Occupancy Sufficiency System (DOT

Planners) Safety Improvement Candidate

Locations (SICL) Comparables – road type,

VMT/DEV, severity, trends Regional (county) analysis Safety Conscious Planning

(Planning, MPOs/RPAs) Corridor Enforcement

(GTSB/ISP) Older Drivers

(GTSB/MVD/TAS)

Problem ID (GTSB) Don’t Veer for Deer

(GTSB/SMS) Crash Facts (MVD ODS) School Age Pedestrians Rail Crossings Bridge considerations Workzone training Risk Management & Litigation Winter Maintenance CODES linkages Driver/Licensing

Issues/Training

(Not necessarily Session 23, other Iowa uses)

4

Available DataAvailable Data GIS-based LRS in-progress Crash data (point) – 10 years (1994-2003+) – MMUCC 2001+

– Crash, driver, vehicle, injury, workzone, derived, etc.– Timeliness vital – access to 2004 data within Iowa DOT

CODES Roadway data (line) – 6 years (1998-2003) – Redesign underway

– Geometry, traffic, class, sufficiency, etc.– Vital to planning/safety activities– Curve locations, signals, intersection data, etc. needed

County/City/Township/PLSS (polygon) Rail (point & line) River (line) Structures (point)

– Bridges, culverts, etc. Enforcement (point)

– Citation, criminal, vehicle inspection, OWI– Local

5

Obtaining the Data – Who?Obtaining the Data – Who? Crash retrieval/analysis resources

– Iowa Traffic Safety Data Service (ITSDS)– University-based

Iowa State (Engineering, Planning, Statistics)– Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE)

University of Iowa (Public Policy, Medical, Human Factors)– Center for Public Policy– Injury Prevention Center

University of Northern Iowa (Geography, Statistics)– Iowa DOT Personnel

TAS, Districts, Planners, Location, Design, others– Locals

counties, cities, MPOs/RPAs– Consultants

TEAP, others

6

Obtaining the Data – How?Obtaining the Data – How?Crash retrieval/analysis resources

– SAVER w/ Collision Diagrams– Crash Mapping Tool (CMaT) - engineering– Incident Mapping Tool (IMaT) - enforcement– Iowa Traffic Safety Data Service (ITSDS) &

Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE)

WWW – comparables, statewide values, county analyses, trends, SICL

Traffic Safety Manual development

7

Data UsersData Users State Safety Engineer Tom Welch Planning/Location Public Safety (DPS GTSB/ISP) Driver Services (MVD ODS) Public Health (DPH) Safety Management (SMS)/Traffic Records

(STRAC) Significant Collaboration

– National/State/Local– Engr/Enf/Planning/Behavior/Health