Title: Overview and status of the projects funded through the Rural Safety Innovation Program
Abstract: Fatalities resulting from traffic crashes are a global problem. The World Health Organization estimates that each year approximately 1.2 million people die as a direct result of traffic crashes, while another 50 million are injured. Without appropriate action, by 2020, road traffic injuries are predicted to be the third leading contributor to the global burden of disease and injury. Globally, a disproportionate number of these transportation fatalities and injuries occur in rural areas. In the United States, rural roads carry approximately 34% of total vehicle-miles traveled, yet annually they account for 56 percent of fatalities. In 2009, rural roads accounted for 19,259 fatalities out of the total 33,808 fatalities on all public roads. To address the challenges of rural safety, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) initiated the Rural Safety Initiative in February 2008. The focus of the Rural Safety Initiative is to highlight available options to help reduce highway fatalities and injuries on the nation’s rural roads. The USDOT recognizes that a range of factors contribute to both the rate of occurrence and severity of crashes in rural areas. They understand that to effectively address the problem, both traditional approaches (e.g., infrastructure improvements) and advanced technologies like ITS are required. Accordingly, funds to support the RSIP were drawn from the Delta Regional Transportation Development Program (DRTDP) and Intelligent Transportation Systems program — two separate, yet complementary programs.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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