OVERVIEW OF THE NEW HIGHWAY SAFETY MANUAL

Tim Neuman, CH2M HillNCHRP 17-38 Project Member

2009 Strategic Highway Safety Plan Peer ExchangeSCOHTS Annual Meeting

May 1, 2009 Chicago, Illinois

Presentation Summary

What is the HSM?

Why is the HSM needed?

How can the HSM be used?

When will the 1st Edition be available?

Where can one find more information about the HSM?

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

WHAT IS THE HSM?

Provide

Best factual information

To facilitate explicit safety considerations for:

Planning

through

Synthesis of validated highway research

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

Definitive; represents quantitative ‘state-of-the-art’

information

Widely accepted within professional practice of

transportation engineering

Science-based; updated regularly to reflect research

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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?

Nominal SafetySubstantive Safety

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

UNLIKE NOMINAL SAFETY, SUBSTANTIVE SAFETY IS A

CONTINUUM

SUBSTANTIVE SAFETY MAY VARY WHEN NOMINAL SAFETY DOES NOT

Existing Conditions Alternative 1

Alternative 2 Alternative 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

• GEOPAK 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

Absence & need to estimate

safety impactsTRB

December Workshop

Members of sponsoring committees

AASHTO, FHWA, ITE

TRB Task Force for

the Develop-ment of a

HSM

AASHTO HSM TF

1st Edition(projected)

1999 2000 2003 Future

Research, research and more research

20102007

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

NCHRP Project 17-18(04)

•Development of a HSM - Draft Table of Contents for the HSM.

NCHRP Project 17-25

•Crash Reduction Factors for Traffic Engineering and ITS Improvements

NCHRP Project 17-26

•Development of Models for Prediction of Expected Safety Performance for Urban and Suburban Arterials

NCHRP Project 17-27

•Prepare Parts I and II of the HSM

NCHRP Project 17-29

•Safety Prediction Models for Rural Multilane Highways for Use in the HSM

NCHRP Project 17-34 (4) and (5)

•Prepare Parts IV and V of the HSM

NCHRP Project 17-36

•Production of the First Edition of the HSM

NCHRP Project 17-37

•Pedestrian Predictive Crash Methodology for Urban and Suburban Arterials

NCHRP Project 17-38

•HSM Implementation and Training Materials

RESEARCH PATH TO THE HSM V.1

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

OUTLINE OF THE HSM

Part A Introduction,

Human Factors, and

Fundamentals

Part B Roadway Safety

Management Process

Part C Predictive Method

Part D Accident Modification

Factors

PART AINTRODUCTION, HUMAN FACTORS, & FUNDAMENTALS

•Introduction and OverviewChapter 1

•Human FactorsChapter 2

•FundamentalsChapter 3

PART BROADWAY SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROCESS

4 6 8

Network

Screening

Diagnosis

Countermeasure

Selection

Economic

Appraisal

Prioritization of

Improvement

Projects

4 5 6 7 8 9

Safety

Effectiveness

Evaluation

PART CPREDICTIVE METHOD

Two-Lane Rural Roads

Urban/ Suburban Arterial Highways

Rural Multilane Highways

• Methodology• Applications • Safety issues not

explicitly addressed by the methodology

• Example problems• References

Special Part C Common Procedures

• Calibration• Combining predicted

with observed crashes

PART DACCIDENT MODIFICATION FACTORS

•Roadway SegmentsCHAPTER 13

•IntersectionsCHAPTER 14

•InterchangesCHAPTER 15

•Special facilities and Geometric SituationsCHAPTER 16

•Road NetworksCHAPTER 17

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

WHO SHOULD USE THE HSM?

System Planning

Project Planning

Preliminary Design, Final

Design, & Construction

Operations & Maintenance

• Assess the system needs & identify projects/studies

• Program projects• Evaluate system-wide safety effects of

programs

System Planning Project Planning

Preliminary Design, Final Design, and

Construction

Operations and Maintenance

• 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

System Planning

Project Planning

Preliminary Design, Final Design, and

Construction

Operations and Maintenance

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

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

approaches, etc.

System Planning Project Planning

Preliminary Design, Final Design, and

Construction

Operations and Maintenance

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

• Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented improvements

System Planning Project Planning

Preliminary Design, Final Design, and

Construction

Operations &

Maintenance

VI. WHEN WILL THE HSM BE AVAILABLE?

Overview of the new HSM

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULENow

through July 31, 2009: Review

& ballotin

g by SCOTE, SCOHTS

and SCOD

Sept 1st to 30th, 2009

–

Ballot by

SCOH

Expected Release

Date:

Early 2010

COMPANION SOFTWARE

HSM Part Supporting Tool

PART B: Roadway Safety Management Process

SafetyAnalysthttp://www.safetyanalyst.org/

PART C: Predictive Methods IHSDM

PART D: Accident Modification Factors

FHWA CRF/AMF Clearinghouse

TRAINING & OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

• Sept – Nov 2009– 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 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

• IMPLEMENTATION– Geni Bahar (User Liaison Subcommittee of the TRB

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

• TRAINING– Karen Dixon (PI of NCHRP 17-38):

karen.dixon@oregonstate.edu, (541) 737-6337

THE END

Questions?