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840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 310 |
Volume 6, Winter 2005/2006
Also available in PDF, safetyupdate_wi0506.pdf (307 KB)
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Acrobat® Reader®.
The FHWA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just completed a comprehensive effort to determine the extent of the ped/bike safety problem as it relates to Hispanic populations in the United States and develop appropriate outreach materials and a plan for distributing them to these audiences. The project was undertaken because anecdotal evidence suggests that a disproportionate number of persons killed and injured in traffic crashes are Hispanic immigrants.
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Part 2 of this project (just completed) included developing a marketing plan that would tell interested audiences how to best "sell" safety to the Hispanic populations of the U.S. and included developing actual products based on the outcome of the marketing plan. The marketing plan and materials (2 downloadable radio PSA's, 5 brochures and 5 posters available in both English and Spanish) can be viewed and ordered at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/materials/ped_hisp.htm.
In NJ, pedestrian fatalities represent more than 20% of all motor vehicle fatalities, which greatly exceeds that of the entire US.
A public outreach campaign highlighting a different traffic safety issue each month of the year. Brochures/Posters available at: http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/12month.htm
WorkZoneDriver.org is the official website for Turning Point: Roadway Work Zone Safety for New Drivers. It is part of a national campaign aimed at teaching teen drivers to navigate safely through construction sites along our highways, roads and streets. The Website is a resource not only for teens, but also for educators and parents, providing all with valuable information and instructional tools and techniques.
Please share with educators in your community.
Problem: Intersection crashesaccount for more than 45 percent of all crashes nationwide.
Intersection safety is a serious problem in the United States. Addressing this problem is one of FHWA's top priorities. Roundabouts are a proven safety solution that prevent and reduce the severity of intersection crashes. A roundabout is a one-way, circular intersection in which traffic flows around a center island. Roundabouts are designed to meet the needs of all road users—drivers, pedestrians, pedestrians with disabilities and bicyclists. A roundabout eliminates some of the conflicting traffic, such as left-turns, which cause crashes at traditional intersections.
Not all circles are roundabouts! Many existing traffic circles or rotaries operate under different traffic rules and have experienced operational and safety problems.
A soon to be published study by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program found that the installation of roundabouts led to a 35% reduction in total crashes and 76% reduction in crashes causing injuries or fatalities. There are also operational benefits from roundabouts, such as less delay and increased traffic capacity. FHWA has published a comprehensive guide called Roundabouts: An informational Guide that is available at http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/00068.htm.
To be added to the distribution list for future editions of this newsletter, please email nj.safety@fhwa.dot.gov.
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