Search the Noteworthy Practices database Crash Modification Factors in Practice: Quantifying Safety in the Roadway Safety Management Process - Virginia Case StudySummary from Crash Modification Factors in Practice: Quantifying Safety in the Roadway Safety Management Process(The Virginia case study begins on Page 7 of the full report, after background information about the use of crash modification factors to quantify roadway safety.) Publication Year: 2013BackgroundIn 2007, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) started a new program, Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions (STARS), aimed at critical safety and congestion hot spots throughout the State. The primary goals of the STARS program are to identify roadway improvements on the interstate and primary systems that:
The STARS program allows VDOT to better incorporate operations and safety into the long-term planning process and involves the following four steps.
In this process, the study team identifies potential safety and operational issues in Step 2 along with a list of potential countermeasures. Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) are then applied in Step 3 to help justify and prioritize the suggestions. Specifically, CMFs are used to estimate the safety impacts associated with each countermeasure. FindingsThere are several potential benefits associated with the application of CMFs in the safety management process. Specifically, CMFs provide a means to quantify the safety impacts of decisions and help to raise awareness of safety. The application of CMFs also helps to prioritize potential treatments and provides decision-makers with the information needed to identify cost-effective strategies. VDOT indicated that the STARS program has helped to raise awareness of safety issues at both the State and local level, which has led to more safety-focused projects. The goal of the STARS program is to identify where safety and congestion issues overlap on the State's roadways. As demonstrated in the case study, CMFs are used in the benefit-cost analysis to quantify the safety impact of the suggested countermeasures. The results of the benefit-cost analysis are beneficial in the prioritization of recommendations as well as the programming and implementation stage. VDOT indicated that STARS-based projects have addressed more crashes and typically involve lower impact treatments (less utility and right of way) that can be implemented more quickly than proposals submitted prior to the STARS program. Using CMFs as part of the benefit-cost analysis is not only beneficial to prioritizing the suggested countermeasures for a particular site, but also helps in the management of a safety program. The STARS program actively utilizes Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds for many of the hot spot locations throughout the State. The CMFs used in the benefit-cost analysis are instrumental in the application process for HSIP funding. ContactKaren Scurry Publication Year: 2013 View more information about CMFs on the web at: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/.
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