Toward more safety

June 11, 2009

Federal funding targeted directly at roadway safety pays double dividends for our nation. By improving and upgrading the safety features on our nation’s roadways, these double dividends will be paid by putting men and women back to work as thousands of new jobs are created.

America is well into a new year with a new administration at the helm of our nation. One of the most critical challenges they face today is hammering out the best ways to stimulate and energize our economy.

Federal funding targeted directly at roadway safety pays double dividends for our nation. By improving and upgrading the safety features on our nation’s roadways, these double dividends will be paid by putting men and women back to work as thousands of new jobs are created.

America is well into a new year with a new administration at the helm of our nation. One of the most critical challenges they face today is hammering out the best ways to stimulate and energize our economy.

The administration’s focus on our nation’s transportation infrastructure will undoubtedly afford the roadway safety industry countless new opportunities to significantly improve the safety of America’s roadways. With a growing number of states moving “toward zero deaths” as their goal in reducing the number of those killed in roadway accidents, the safer our nation’s roadways are made over the next several years, the closer all of us will get to that goal.

Unfortunately, the shape of our nation’s economy has put many businesses and individuals into somewhat difficult situations, forcing many of them to make tough business and personnel decisions that they would have never imagined just a year ago. As a result there have been cutbacks, rollbacks and layoffs.

Today, safety seems to be at the top of everyone’s priority list as our overused and aging infrastructure continues to erode. We need to make sure it stays right there.

ATSSA’s reauthorization policy, titled “Toward Zero Deaths, A Vision for Safer Roads in America,” urges Congress to target 10% of highway funding to maintain and upgrade roadway safety features including highly reflective signs, roadway markings, median barrier and guardrails, crash cushions and work-zone safety devices.

Furthermore, federal funding targeted directly at roadway safety pays double dividends for our nation. By improving and upgrading the safety features on our nation’s roadways, these double dividends will be paid by putting men and women back to work as thousands of new jobs are created. Safer roads also save billions of dollars in the medical and societal costs associated with unnecessary or preventable deaths and injuries.

Safety success stories—and what is being done to make roadways safer and more forgiving for motorists—can be found in recent state safety updates and status reports.

The reports cite the installation of roadway safety features such as shoulder rumble strips, curve delineation, passing lanes, turn lanes, traffic signals, highway lighting and much more.

The reports also highlight locations that have upgraded signs and pavement markings, replaced non-NCHRP 350-compliant guardrail end treatments, upgraded guardrail and installed cable barrier, which is proving effective at reducing cross-median fatalities in the mid- to upper-90th percentile.

These safety examples are only the tip of the iceberg of what must continue to be accomplished as we move “toward zero deaths.” The Highway Safety Improvement Program allows states to implement and install lifesaving roadway safety features and services. In many cases, these safety upgrades are delivered quickly and at low cost. This is good. Now, to ensure our nation’s roadways continue to be made safer for all road users, we cannot afford, nor should we ever consider, taking roadway safety shortcuts. Safer roads do save lives.

About The Author: Baron is the director of communications/PR at the American Traffic Safety Services Association, Fredericksburg, Va.

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