OVERVIEW OF THE NEW HIGHWAY SAFETY MANUAL

Karen Dixon, Oregon State UniversityNCHRP 17-38 Project Member

AASHTO Subcommittee onSafety Management

September 4,2009Savannah, GA

PRESENTATION SUMMARY

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I. WHAT IS THE HSM?Overview of the new HSM

WHAT IS THE HSM?

THE VISION OF THE HSM - A DOCUMENT AKIN TO THE HCM

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WHAT THE HSM IS NOT

• The HSM does not set requirements or mandates• The HSM is not a best practice document for design or

operations.• The HSM contains no warrants or standards

and does not supersede other publications that do.

vs

The HSM does not establish a legal

standard of care nor does it create a duty

to the public.

II. WHY DO WE NEED THE HSM?Overview of the new HSM

IS THIS ROAD “SAFE” OR “UNSAFE”?

What does safety really mean?

Examined in reference to compliance with standards, warrants, guidelines and sanctioned design procedures

The expected or actual crash frequency and

severity for a highway or roadway

HIGHWAY SAFETY HAS TWO DIMENSIONS

*Ezra Hauer, ITE Traffic Safety Toolbox Introduction, 1999

CR

AS

H R

ISK

DESIGN DIMENSIONLane Width, Radius of Curve, Stopping Sight Distance, etc.

CR

AS

H R

ISK

DESIGN DIMENSIONLane Width, Radius of Curve, Stopping Sight Distance, etc.

UNLIKE NOMINAL SAFETY, SUBSTANTIVE SAFETY IS A CONTINUUM

Substantive Safety Nominal Safety

NOMINAL SAFETY VS SUBSTANTIVE SAFETY

CR

AS

H R

ISK

DESIGN DIMENSIONLane Width, Radius of Curve, Stopping Sight Distance, etc.

Low NominalLow Substantive

Low NominalLow Substantive

Low NominalHigh Substantive

Low NominalHigh Substantive

High NominalLow Substantive

High NominalLow Substantive

High NominalHigh Substantive

High NominalHigh Substantive

SUBSTANTIVE SAFETY MAY VARY WHEN NOMINAL SAFETY DOES NOT

Existing ConditionsExisting Conditions Alternative 1Alternative 1

Alternative 2Alternative 2 Alternative 3Alternative 3

WE’RE INTERESTED IN OTHER IMPACTS FOR PROJECT LEVEL DECISIONS – WHAT ABOUT

SUBSTANTIVE SAFETY?

Safety Environmental Traffic Right-of-Way Costs Impacts Impacts Operations

• Traffic Noise Model 1.0

• CAL3QHC• Mobile 5a• 3-D Visualization• CITYGREEN

• HCM• CORSIM• PASSER• TRANSYT7F• VISSIM

•Construction Plans•Cost Models•Real estate appraisals•DOT databases

Design Criteria (nominal

safety)

Mor

e qu

antit

ativ

e

Gre

ater

wei

ght

The HSM

THE HSM CONTAINS BEST SCIENCE &

RESEARCH

• Synthesis of previous research

• New research commissioned by AASHTO and FHWA

III. HOW WAS THE HSM DEVELOPED?

Overview of the new HSM

THE HSM – A TEN-YEAR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORT

19991999 20002000 20032003 FutureFuture

Research, research and more research

2010201020072007

SIGNIFICANT EFFORT & PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT PRODUCED

THE HSM• Joint

Subcommittee sponsored by 7 TRB committees

• Thousands of hours of volunteer effort

• Research program funded by NCHRP, AASHTO & FHWA

RESEARCH PATH TO THE HSM V.1

IV. WHAT IS COVERED BY THE HSM?Overview of the new HSM

OUTLINE OF THE HSM

PART AINTRODUCTION, HUMAN FACTORS, &

FUNDAMENTALS

PART BROADWAY SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Network

Screening

Diagnosis

Countermeasure

Selection

Economic

Appraisal

Prioritization of

Improvement

Projects

4 5 6 7 8 9

Safety

Effectiveness

Evaluation

PART CPREDICTIVE METHOD

• Methodology• Applications • Safety issues not

explicitly addressed by the methodology

• Example problems• References

Special Part C Special Part C Common ProceduresCommon Procedures

• Calibration• Combining predicted

with observed crashes

PART DACCIDENT MODIFICATION FACTORS

V. WHO SHOULD USE THE HSM? Overview of the new HSM

WHO SHOULD USE THE HSM?

• Assess the system needs & identify projects/studies

• Program projects• Evaluate system-wide safety effects of programs

• Define problem(s) and assist in scoping• Identify potential solutions• Assess or evaluate multiple alternatives and

expected quantitative safety effects • Aid in identification of a preferred alternative

• Evaluate safety of alternative design approaches• Assist in review & documentation of design

exceptions, variances and waivers• Inform decisions on construction staging, work

approaches, etc.

• Monitor operations to maintain balance among safety, mobility and access.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented improvements

VI. WHEN WILL THE HSM BE AVAILABLE?

Overview of the new HSM

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

TRAINING & OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

• October 2009 – Jan 2010– Conduct two or three multi-state pilot courses

• August 2009– TRB Task Force Meeting

• TRB 2010 Annual Meeting– One-day workshop

• Training materials, including “Train-the-trainer” available upon HSM release

VII. WHERE CAN ONE FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HSM?

Overview of the new HSM

http://www.highwaysafetymanual.org

DATA NEEDS GUIDEhttp://www.highwaysafetymanual.org

KEY CONTACTS

• AASHTO– Ken Kobetsky: kenk@aashto.org, (202) 624-5254– Jim McDonnell: jimm@aashto.org, (202) 624-5448– Kelly Hardy: khardy@aashto.org, (202) 624-5868

• AASHTO JOINT TASK COMMITTEE FOR THE HSM– Don Vaughn, ALDOT, vaughnd@dot.state.al.us,

(334) 242-6319

KEY CONTACTS• TRB/ NCHRP

– Rick Pain: rpain@nas.edu, (202)334-2964– Chuck Niessner: cniessne@nas.edu, (202) 334-1431

• TRB HSM TF: Development of a Highway Safety Manual– John Milton, miltonj@wsdot.wa.gov, (360)704-6363

• TRB HSM TF: User Liaison– Geni Bahar (User Liaison Subcommittee of the TRB HSM

Task Force): genibahar@rogers.com, (416) 932-9272• TRAINING

– Karen Dixon (PI of NCHRP Project 17-38): karen.dixon@oregonstate.edu, (541) 737-6337

THE END

Questions?