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Page 73
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Safe System Policy Practices." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Guide to Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29147.
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APPENDIX A

Safe System Policy Practices

Appendix A provides data on how respondents appraised various Safe System policy practices. See Table A-1 for scores related to each practice’s feasibility and impact.

Interpretive categorization of Z-scores (Feasibility and Impact columns), with a mean of zero (0) and standard deviation (SD) of one (1).

Categories Z-scores
High > 1 SD above mean
Moderate < 1 and > 0
Low > −1 and < 0
Very Low < −1 SD below mean

Note: SD = standard deviation round the mean score of zero (0).

Page 74
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Safe System Policy Practices." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Guide to Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29147.
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Table A-1. Policy practice feasibility and impact scores (n = 85).

Practice Feasibility Impact Category
Installing leading pedestrian intervals with right-turn-on-red restrictions in areas with high pedestrian activity. 1.078 0.385 High Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Updating NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program to include pedestrian detection and collision avoidance safety tests. 0.604 0.403 Moderate Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Requiring alcohol ignition interlocks installed for all drivers convicted of driving under the influence. 0.501 0.293 Moderate Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Developing policies requiring forward- and nearside-facing sensors on heavy vehicles to detect pedestrians and cyclists. 0.337 0.324 Moderate Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Setting posted speed limits based on harm minimization principles, road function, and severe crash types rather than an 85th percentile rule. 0.290 0.097 Moderate Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Instituting or enforcing a statewide primary enforcement seat-belt-use law. 0.169 0.179 Moderate Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Implementing speed safety cameras (automated speed enforcement) that use revenues to improve safety. −0.259 0.459 Low Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Instituting or enforcing a statewide universal motorcycle helmet law that would require all motorcyclists to wear U.S. DOT–compliant helmets, regardless of the rider’s age or experience. −0.100 0.197 Low Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Installing seat belt interlocks in vehicles. −0.055 0.150 Low Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Implementing red-light-camera enforcement that uses revenues to fund safety infrastructure. −0.046 0.133 Low Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Installing speed governors in all municipal fleet vehicles. 0.592 −0.712 Moderate Feasibility/Low Impact
Extending graduated driver licensing requirements to include all novice drivers regardless of age. 0.136 −0.258 Moderate Feasibility/Low Impact
Establishing a default speed limit of 20 mph or lower in every business or residential district. −0.062 −0.271 Low Feasibility/Low Impact
Instituting immediate administrative license revocation or suspension for alcohol- and drug-impaired driving offenses. −0.312 −0.085 Low Feasibility/Low Impact
Lowering the blood alcohol concentration limit for driving from 0.08 to 0.05. −0.146 −0.463 Low Feasibility/Low Impact
Requiring location-based speed limiters in all commercial and private vehicles in areas with high pedestrian activity. −0.796 0.080 Low Feasibility/Moderate Impact
Instituting a driver license renewal program that requires passing an on-road driving test every 5–10 years. −0.477 −0.295 Low Feasibility/Low Impact
Promoting the installation of technology in private automobiles that records drivers’ distraction, drowsiness, and other forms of incapacitation. −0.788 −0.133 Low Feasibility/Low Impact
Establishing maximums in vehicle size (in terms of width, length, height, weight) permitted in areas with high pedestrian activity. −0.666 −0.486 Low Feasibility/Low Impact
Page 73
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Safe System Policy Practices." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Guide to Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29147.
×
Page 73
Page 74
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Safe System Policy Practices." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Guide to Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/29147.
×
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The Safe System approach is a holistic approach that provides a framework for making the U.S. national transportation system safer. It is based on building and reinforcing multiple layers of protection to prevent crashes from happening and minimize the harm caused when crashes occur. This safety approach differs from conventional ones because it focuses on human vulnerability and creates a system with many redundancies to protect all transportation users.

NCHRP Research Report 1135: A Guide to Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations, from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, presents information for applying the Safe System approach among state departments of transportation and other transportation agencies.

Supplemental to the report is NCHRP Web-Only Document 413: Applying the Safe System Approach to Transportation Planning, Design, and Operations.

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