Traffic Safety Culture Research Roadmap (2024)

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2024 N A T I O N A L C O O P E R A T I V E H I G H W A Y R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1091 Trafc Safety Culture Research Roadmap Wesley Kumfer Seth LaJeunesse Stephen Heiny Alyson West Jonathon Weisenfeld Highway Safety Research Center The University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Jay Otto Nicholas Ward Katherine Dively Bridget Hanson Center for Health and Safety Culture Montana State University Bozeman, MT Carolyn McAndrews University of Wisconsin—Madison Madison, WI Steven Lavrenz Wayne State University Detroit, MI Gwyn Kash Social Motion Wilmington, NC Charles T. Brown Equitable Cities, LLC Somerset, NJ Subscriber Categories Operations and Trafc Management • Safety and Human Factors Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Ofcials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state departments of transportation (DOTs) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transporta- tion results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to high- way authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 ini- tiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation, under Agree- ment No. 693JJ31950003. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRB’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive com- mittee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, univer- sities, and industry; TRB’s relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of special- ists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs iden- tified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&I’s recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Direc- tors and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Academies and TRB. The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs. Published research reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet by going to https://www.mytrb.org/MyTRB/Store/default.aspx Printed in the United States of America NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1091 Project 17-96 ISSN 2572-3766 (Print) ISSN 2572-3774 (Online) ISBN 978-0-309-70939-2 Library of Congress Control Number 2024930738 © 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trade- marks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or spec- ifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications. The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

e National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non- governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. e National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president. e National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. e three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. e National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org. e Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. e mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. e Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. e program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1091 Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program David M. Jared, Senior Program Officer Mazen Alsharif, Senior Program Assistant Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications Margaret B. Hagood, Senior Editor NCHRP PROJECT 17-96 PANEL Field of Traffic—Area of Safety Michelle Lynne May, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, OH (Chair) Sarah Abel, Toole Design Group, LLC, Silver Spring, MD Grady T. Carrick, Enforcement Engineering, Inc., Ponte Vedra, FL Stacy Jeleniewski, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Washington, DC Joseph F. Marek, Clackamas County, Oregon City, OR Alejandra L. Medina, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA Hadi H. Shirazi, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Baton Rouge, LA Susan C. Sillick, Helena, MT Cedric Ward, Maryland State Highway Administration, Hanover, MD Chimai N. Ngo, FHWA Liaison Kelly K. Hardy, AASHTO Liaison

NCHRP Research Report 1091 presents a research roadmap for promoting traffic safety culture (TSC) among state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation safety agencies. The roadmap consists of 20 research need statements covering a broad set of research needs since agencies are at different stages of readiness for conducting TSC research. The need statements suggest projects that agencies can undertake to shape their own organizational cultures, align their goals with those of their communities, and contribute to national traffic safety objectives. The roadmap should be of particular use to state DOTs and other transportation safety agencies seeking to understand TSC and identify rel- evant research needs to help build a positive TSC. As states and localities adopt a vision of zero traffic fatalities, greater attention is being given to communication, collaboration, leveraging resources, and applying a systemic approach to traffic safety which requires a change in culture among road users and traffic safety agencies. This change in culture is tied to education, engineering, enforcement, and emer- gency services (hereafter, the 4E’s). The goal of a TSC is to develop a process for changing values and attitudes so that safety is part of every transportation decision, individual or organizational, for all users of the roadway transportation system. Promoting a positive TSC would support traffic safety goals by reducing risky behaviors and increasing protective behaviors, and by increasing public acceptance of other effective traffic safety programs. TSC is relatively new for traffic safety agencies, and these agencies do not typically have staff with TSC expertise. Furthermore, with the lack of research on TSC there is limited knowledge on how to apply TSC strategies either alone or in combination with the 4E’s. A TSC research roadmap could identify the critical research needed to identify practices, tactics, techniques, and tools that can be implemented by safety partner agencies. This roadmap could also address strategic highway safety plans and regional- or community-based safety programs and plans where a positive TSC could be a critical factor in eliminating traffic fatalities. Under NCHRP Project 17-96, “Traffic Safety Culture Research Roadmap,” the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill was asked to develop (1) a prioritized TSC research roadmap with stakeholder input that includes fully developed research problem statements suitable for submittal to NCHRP; (2) a communication plan to disseminate the research roadmap; and (3) a process management plan to systematically revisit research priorities to guide research and ensure its future relevancy. A total of 20 problem statements were developed, along with the communication and process management plans, with the roadmap indicating why each research need is critical to improving traffic safety, why it is important to safety partner agencies, and how these agencies could implement the results to improve traffic safety. F O R E W O R D By David M. Jared Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

In addition to NCHRP Research Report 1091, four deliverables are available on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for NCHRP Research Report 1091: Traffic Safety Culture Research Roadmap: • A summary of the entire research effort, available as NCHRP Web-Only Document 382: Traffic Safety Culture: Conduct of Research Report; • A communications plan for fostering dissemination of the research roadmap; • A process management plan for monitoring implementation of the research roadmap; and • A research brief summarizing the project objectives, scope, and deliverables.

Note: Photographs, figures, and tables in this report may have been converted from color to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the web at nap.nationalacademies.org) retains the color versions. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction 3 Chapter 2 Background on Traffic Safety Culture 3 2.1 Overview of Traffic Safety Culture Literature 8 2.2 Relevant Theoretical Literature 10 2.3 TSC and the Safe System Approach 14 Chapter 3 Research Gaps and Roadmap Structure 15 3.1 Research Gaps 15 3.2 Roadmap Structure 20 3.3 Agency Applications of the Roadmap 23 Chapter 4 Explanation of Research Need Statement Contents 26 Chapter 5 Research Need Statements 26 5.1 Definition Domain 35 5.2 Measurement Domain 43 5.3 Development Domain 57 5.4 Evaluation Domain 64 Chapter 6 Conclusions 66 References C O N T E N T S