Strategic Highway Safety Plan
If the average crash rates over the past few years remain unchanged, one child out of every 84 born today will die violently in a motor vehicle crash. Six out of ten will be injured, many more than once.
This disturbing look ahead at the life of a child born today need not be realized, especially when means to reduce current rates of death and injury are available. More needs to be done by all parties that hold a stake in highway safety to reduce fatalities significantly. The AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan, with the help of a phalanx of safety experts, points the way.
In 2005, with highway deaths, exceeding 43,000, the nation’s highway safety community restated its fatality reduction goal. Now state and federal safety and transportation officials are aiming to reduce the fatality rate from 1.5 to no more than 1.0 fatality per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Note that in May of 2007, the AASHTO Board of Directors adopted a revised national highway safety goal of halving fatalities in two decades.
Widespread implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan could put the nation on squarely on the path to eliminating highway fatalities.
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Drunk Driving Over the Limit Under Arrest
Impaired driving is no accident – nor is it a victimless crime. In 2005, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or a motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08 or higher, according to NHTSA.
Origin of the Highway Safety Plan
In the late 1990s significant gains in highway safety appeared stalled. Experts declared “the low hanging fruit” had been picked. More innovative strategies would be needed. More »
Core Elements
The Plan is organized around six key elements, each encompassing multiple strategies for reducing fatalities, injuries, and related costs in a manner acceptable to a significant majority of the public. More »
New Guides Offer Action Plans and More
A wealth of information. data, recommended strategies and countermeasures, and supporting information address the 22 major emphasis areas in the AASHTO Plan. More »
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