Innovation

Roadway Safety Innovation

Innovation in the roadway safety industry

Outsiders of the transportation infrastructure industry may look to autonomous vehicles as an icon of innovation on the roadways, but for state Department of Transportation (DOT) officials, manufacturers, suppliers, and contractors in the roadway safety and infrastructure industry, innovation is not a stationary achievement. It is much more than a mile marker and not as easily defined.

With different perspectives and priorities, industry stakeholders are finding that in addition to new technologies, innovation is heavily reliant on communication between entities. Industry leaders are working together to move forward and ATSSA is no different. The association works year-round to progress and develop creative solutions for all of its initiatives including highlighting innovative products and technologies, training, and ATSSA membership.


One innovative effort ATSSA is involved in is a joint initiative with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committee on Traffic Control Devices (AHB50). Both ATSSA and TRB sponsor and conduct an exciting design competition, the Traffic Control Device (TCD) Student Challenge, to promote innovation and stimulate ideas in the traffic control devices area with a goal to improve operations and safety.


Find recent updates on the latest innovations in the resource list below and be sure to check back for updates.



Exhibit at ATSSA's Annual Traffic Expo

NPRO

Do you have an innovative roadway safety product? Exhibitors can showcase their innovations in the New Products Rollout at the Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. Products released after Jan. 1 of this year qualify for entry. Twenty will be accepted for the New Product Listing and just 12 will be accepted for presentation to a panel of judges. The top three products will earn an Innovation Award that will be announced during the Convention.


Learn more
about featuring your innovative product to key industry professionals. View videos of last year's entries and award winners.



Resources

SuperUser Account
/ Categories: ATSSA, Roadway

TRIP report indicates rural roadways twice as deadly for motorists

Roadway safety infrastructure investment can save lives on rural roadways

Our nation’s rural roadways need repair and modernization, to improve access and safety. A recent report from TRIP, titled “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” echoes ATSSA’s message on the need for investment in roadway safety infrastructure on our rural roadways.

The report looked at the safety and condition of the country’s rural roadways and bridges and found that the rural transportation system needs immediate improvements to counteract deficient roadways and bridges, high crash rates, and poor connectivity.

According to the report, fifteen percent of U.S. rural roads are rated in poor condition, and 21 percent are in mediocre condition. Additionally, the report found that “traffic crashes and fatalities on rural non-Interstate roads are disproportionately high, occurring at a rate nearly two-and-a-half times higher than on all other roads. In 2017, non-Interstate rural roads had a traffic fatality rate of 2.14 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles of travel, compared to a fatality rate on all other roads of 0.88 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles of travel.” The top five states with rural roads classified in poor condition were Rhode Island, South Carolina, Iowa, California, and New Mexico.

There are several cost-effective roadway safety infrastructure devices and products that can make rural roadways safer and reduce serious injuries and fatalities. Among these countermeasures are rumble strips, improved retroreflective signage and pavement markings, guardrail, chevrons and post-mounted delineators along curves, and high friction surface treatments.

“We know that roadway safety infrastructure devices save lives, especially on our nation’s rural roadways. Rural roads often pose challenges that aren’t present on the interstate highway system to a motorist, that can be reduced or mitigated with maintenance and roadway safety countermeasures. As we move Toward Zero Deaths on our nation’s roadways, investing in rural roadways is crucial. It’s not only the right thing to do from a safety perspective, but from an economic one as well, as many rural communities rely on their transportation systems for access to goods, services, and economic opportunity,” said ATSSA’s President and CEO Roger Wentz.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the country has a $146 billion backlog in roadway safety improvements and investing in these improvements on our roadways has the potential to save approximately 63,700 lives and reduce serious injuries due to traffic crashes by approximately 350,000 over the next 20 years. Ensuring long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, reauthorizing the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, and passing an infrastructure package in Congress are all crucial steps in improving the condition and safety of rural roadways across the country.

“The health of the nation’s economy and the safety and quality of life in America’s small communities and rural areas ride on our rural transportation system. Our rural roads and bridges provide crucial links from farm to market, move manufactured and energy products, and provide access to countless tourism, social and recreational destinations,” said TRIP Executive Director Will Wilkins in a release. “Fixing the federal Highway Trust Fund with a long-term, sustainable source of revenue that supports the transportation investment needed will be crucial to the modernization of our rural transportation system.”

Read the report.

Print
7315 Rate this article:
No rating
Please login or register to post comments.

EasyDNNnewsWidgets