By Kohinoor Kar and Mike Cynecki
The goal of any transportation system is the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. Transportation on our streets and highways includes three major components – vehicles, road users and roadways. While the transportation system has a major impact on the economy of a country, there is a great deal of concern among transportation professionals regarding the safety of all road users.
Road users include drivers of automobiles and their passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists, along with those who drive trucks, RVs, buses, and those who ride motorcycles. It also includes those who ride skateboards and people in wheelchairs. Of these road users, the most vulnerable are pedestrians and bicyclists, especially the very old, the very young, and pedestrians with disabilities.
According to the traffic safety facts published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 33,808 people died in traffic crashes during 2009, the lowest number of fatalities since 1950. Despite a large reduction in crashes and fatalities, this still translates to about 93 people dying on our roadways every day.
Just compare these statistics with the number of fatal plane crashes throughout the entire world in 2009 – eight crashes that took the lives of 665 people (50 of which were U.S. residents). The worldwide number of fatalities involving commercial flights is less than two persons per day compared to 93 persons killed per day on roadways just in the U.S. If the airline industry suffered the same number of deaths that are experienced on our roadways, there would be an outcry to find a solution to this tragedy.
One person dies on our roadways every 15 minutes. Among all motor vehicle related deaths in 2009, more than half (53 percent) were drivers or passengers who were unrestrained. Also, about one third (32 percent) of traffic fatalities were alcohol related.
The Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2010 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report shows 762 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes on highways and local roads in the state last year. That is a reduction of 5.46 percent from 806 fatalities in 2009, and it marks a significant reduction since 1,301 people died in crashes in 2006. That year, Arizona recorded its highest-ever number of traffic fatalities.
While vehicle design has been greatly improved and roadway design and operational issues are being addressed through engineering countermeasures, behavioral factors pose the greatest risk to road users. Road user behavior issues are not limited to just drivers, but include pedestrians, bicyclists and others as well.
Research has shown that about 93 percent of traffic crashes occur due to human factors. These human factors include inattention, fatigue, aggressive driving, speeding, driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol or prescription medication, and restraint system misuse or non-use.
Road users make certain errors knowingly or unknowingly that lead to crashes, injuries and fatalities. A review of Arizona crash reports indicates the most common type of traffic crash is the rear-end collision, and the most common driver violation is “speed too fast for conditions.”
Some of the more common driver distractions include talking on the phone while driving, texting and eating. Even the use of hands-free phones or talking intensely with passengers can result in a major driver distraction that could lead to a traffic crash. The bottom line is we have a tremendous responsibility behind the wheel. This responsibility also applies to walking or biking along a roadway facility. Driving safely does not involve rocket science; rather it requires safety awareness, common sense, responsibility and courtesy. We all can make the biggest difference to our own well-being and that of our families, friends and others in the community by making a conscious decision to drive safely and responsibly. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Kohinoor Kar, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE, a professional engineer with 22 years combined experience in the roadway, traffic and safety fields, has been with the State of Arizona for past seven years.
Michael J. Cynecki, P.E., recently retired from the city of Phoenix after a 26-year career in the transportation department and is currently with the consulting firm of Lee Engineering, LLC.
