1
00:00:07,950 --> 00:00:10,560
- [Presenter] Departments
of transportation nationwide

2
00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,570
use the highway safety manual

3
00:00:12,570 --> 00:00:16,530
to implement safety interventions
when designing roadways.

4
00:00:16,530 --> 00:00:18,960
But roadways in Texas are often unique,

5
00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,290
compared to their
counterparts in other states.

6
00:00:22,290 --> 00:00:25,620
Working with the Texas A&M
Transportation Institute,

7
00:00:25,620 --> 00:00:27,720
the Texas Department of Transportation

8
00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:29,160
has adapted the manual

9
00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,170
to better meet design challenges

10
00:00:31,170 --> 00:00:33,570
unique to the Lone Star state.

11
00:00:33,570 --> 00:00:36,813
- So we have the highway
safety manual now.

12
00:00:38,467 --> 00:00:40,230
It was published in 2010.

13
00:00:40,230 --> 00:00:43,350
It has, like, safety performance functions

14
00:00:43,350 --> 00:00:47,340
that are generally used in
project-level decision-making

15
00:00:47,340 --> 00:00:52,260
to estimate the average crash
frequency by severity type.

16
00:00:52,260 --> 00:00:55,230
And also, when the new roads are proposed,

17
00:00:55,230 --> 00:00:57,690
we need these safety performance functions

18
00:00:57,690 --> 00:00:59,700
to estimate the crashes on them.

19
00:00:59,700 --> 00:01:03,180
- Because highway safety
manual matter was developed,

20
00:01:03,180 --> 00:01:05,730
at least most of the
matters were developed,

21
00:01:05,730 --> 00:01:08,310
based on the data from other states.

22
00:01:08,310 --> 00:01:10,440
So, we thought it's logical

23
00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,160
to, either develop local models,

24
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,470
or local calibration factors,

25
00:01:16,470 --> 00:01:19,770
to use it more effectively
for Texas projects

26
00:01:19,770 --> 00:01:22,350
- We assembled, like, a sample data sets,

27
00:01:22,350 --> 00:01:26,520
for rural two-lane highways,
rural multi-lane highways,

28
00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,310
rural freeways, and urban arteries.

29
00:01:29,310 --> 00:01:31,740
These data sets were assembled

30
00:01:31,740 --> 00:01:34,530
for both segments and intersections,

31
00:01:34,530 --> 00:01:39,530
because they behave differently
with respect to safety.

32
00:01:39,990 --> 00:01:42,840
So, unlike segment database,

33
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:47,010
Texas do not have an inventory
of an intersection database.

34
00:01:47,010 --> 00:01:52,010
So our team used the HERE
traffic analytics data,

35
00:01:52,050 --> 00:01:53,970
and we developed a statewide database

36
00:01:53,970 --> 00:01:57,150
of about 900,000 intersections.

37
00:01:57,150 --> 00:02:00,780
In addition, we do not have
the frontage road SPFs,

38
00:02:00,780 --> 00:02:04,230
so we developed new frontage road SPFs

39
00:02:04,230 --> 00:02:08,130
and as well the ramp SPFs
in this, in this study.

40
00:02:08,130 --> 00:02:11,188
The other point, is Texas is a big state.

41
00:02:11,188 --> 00:02:12,627
We all know it.

42
00:02:12,627 --> 00:02:16,920
And then we have the regional differences.

43
00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:19,710
The segment in one region

44
00:02:19,710 --> 00:02:22,290
may have a different safety performance

45
00:02:22,290 --> 00:02:24,840
than a segment in a different region.

46
00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,990
So, to account for these
regional differences,

47
00:02:27,990 --> 00:02:32,340
we developed region-specific
adjustment factors, as well,

48
00:02:32,340 --> 00:02:35,700
you know, to estimate the
crashes in a specific region.

49
00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:39,600
- So that data driven analysis approach,

50
00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:44,190
we are hoping that this
will improve the knowledge,

51
00:02:44,190 --> 00:02:46,170
and also it'll end, you know,

52
00:02:46,170 --> 00:02:50,040
it'll help us to develop safer design.

53
00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,750
And as a result of this,

54
00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:55,020
we will have a safe
transportation infrastructure.

55
00:02:55,020 --> 00:02:56,670
- The methods that we developed

56
00:02:56,670 --> 00:02:59,850
in the state will help the state

57
00:02:59,850 --> 00:03:04,800
in selecting the projects
that improve safety,

58
00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,070
by accurately estimating
the traffic crashes.

59
00:03:08,070 --> 00:03:12,360
And again, the state has
a vision, like a vision,

60
00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:17,160
vision zero goal, to have
zero fatalities by 2050.

61
00:03:18,150 --> 00:03:20,340
So, the techniques that we developed

62
00:03:20,340 --> 00:03:25,340
in this research will help
in reaching those goals.

63
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:26,910
- [Presenter] For more information,

64
00:03:26,910 --> 00:03:29,850
and to find the publications
for this project,

65
00:03:29,850 --> 00:03:32,460
please visit the text dot research library

66
00:03:32,460 --> 00:03:34,143
at the link shown below.