Survey of International Best Practices to Accommodate Older Road Users

1. Survey of International Best Practices to Accommodate Older Road Users March 2008

2. Presentation Overview • Scan sponsors, team, and purpose • Older Road User Issues in the U.S. • Scan itinerary and countries visited • General Findings • Recommendations and next steps

3. Scan Sponsors • U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) • National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)

4. International Technology Scanning Program “…means to access innovative technologies and practices in other countries that could significantly improve highways and highway transportation services in the United States.”

5. Who are we ? Tom Smith, FHWA West Virginia Division Office Barry Warhoftig, West Virginia State DOT Thomas Granda, FHWA Research Cntr. Pamela Hutton, Co-Chair Colorado State DOT Elizabeth Alicandri, Co-Chair FHWA Office of Safety Leanna DepueMissouri State DOT David Harkey, University of North Carolina Susan Chrysler Texas Transportation Institute Howard Glassman, Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council

6. Warhoftig Granda Smith Glassman Harkey Chrysler Hutton Depue Alicandri

7. What is the Problem ? Fatality Rate by Age per 100 M VMT

8. What is the Problem ? Graying of the US population Males Females Age Brackets (5 year increments) 0-4 Males Females 65-69

9. What has the U.S. done for older road users? • 1988 - TRB Transportation in an Aging Society • 1997 - FHWA Older Driver Highway Design Handbook & Guidelines • 1999 - FHWA Older Road User Workshops • 2000 & 2003 - Revised Highway Standards • Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices • AASHTO Green Book

10. What has the U.S. done for older road users? • 2001 – Revised FHWA Handbook • 2003 - AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan Implementation • 2003 – Safe Mobility for Maturing Society – Challenges and Opportunities • 2004 - Travel Better, Travel Longer Pocket Guide • 2004 – A Guide for Reducing Collisions Involving Older Drivers

11. Australia Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Japan Tokyo Where did we go ? March 12 - 16 March 8 - 12 March 1 - 4 March 5 -8

12. Why Australia and Japan ? • Similar demographic age distribution • Percent of population over age 65 in 2030 • US: 19.7 % • Australia: 21.5 % • Japan: 30 % • Better safety record than US • Traffic fatality rates per 100,000 population • US: 14.24 • Australia: 9.3 • Japan: 6.7

13. Scan Team Pedestrian Safety in Left-Side Drive Countries

14. Strategies to plan for increases in older road users Innovations in infrastructure design to assist older road users Research topics specific to older road users issues What did we hope to learn?

15. Headliners • Aging of society is a global issue • Safety must be emphasized at highest levels of government • Local Government involvement in implementing safety plans is critical • Systems approach • Data are used for planning, policy, and evaluation • Improving safety for Older Road Users improves safety for all and vice versa

16. Headliners • Removing driving privileges prematurely has unintended consequences • Infrastructure and operational changes hold great promise for improving safety for older road users • Mobility options are critical for continued quality of life

17. General Road Safety Initiatives • Systems Approach to Safety through Strategic Plans • Focus on reducing crash severity • Speed Enforcement • Speed Zones during times of high pedestrian activity • Pedestrian fencing • Innovative partnerships with local governments, community groups, and automobile clubs

18. Example of Systems Approach: Strategic Planning Victoria’s Arrive Alive initiatives include: • Road users • Education & enforcement • Alcohol • Speed • Fatigue • Drugs • Inexperience • Road and roadsides • Infrastructure • Vehicle Safety Slide 18

19. Example of Systems Approach: Speed Reduction • Speed Zoning • In high pedestrian areas • At times of high pedestrian activity • Public Education • Automated Enforcement

20. Speed Zoning in High Pedestrian Areas Entertainment Zone in Brisbane School Zone in Sydney Suburb

21. Automated Enforcement

22. Policy and Planning Issues • Safety is critical issue at highest levels of government • Aspirational and practical goals • Integrated data from multiple sources used for: • Policy development • Planning decisions • Program evaluation

23. Infrastructure Improvements for Older Road Users • Intersections • Left turn signals exclusive phase • Dedicated turn lanes • Geometric Design

24. Intersection Improvements • Turn Signal Phasing to eliminate go / no-go decision

25. Intersection Improvements • Changes to intersection geometric design to accommodate limited range of motion of older drivers Minimum receiving lane width for rural unsignalised intersections Source: Vic Roads

26. Traffic Control Devices • Pavement marking brightness and width • Sign brightness • Sign letter size • Barrier treatments for horizontal curavature (Japan)

27. Pavement and Barrier Markings • Reflective chevrons on barrier wall • Wider lines to indicate start of exit lane

28. Speed Control • Traffic calming • Speed zoning by district • Backed up by automated enforcement

29. Traffic Calming • Speed Humps • Raised Pedestrian Crosswalks • Reduced Residential Area Speeds

30. Colored pavements • Lane Prohibition • Curve Warnings • Positive Guidance in coordination with color-coded diagrammatic signs Highlighting Bike Lane at Intersection, Sydney Marking Prohibition to Entry to Bus Lane, Melbourne

31. Transit Improvements • Accessible tram stops • Median transfer points to reduce pedestrian activity in street

32. Improvements for Pedestrians • Median refuge islands Sydney

33. Improvements for Pedestrians • Extended pedestrian phase signal time • Actuated signals

34. Improvements for Pedestrians • Separation of pedestrians and other vehicles, including bikes

35. Improvements for Pedestrians • Pedestrian Fencing • Directs pedestrians to marked or signalized crosswalks • Prevents jay-walking

36. Driving Reduction and Cessation • Policies vary from mandatory re-testing after age 75 to no age-based testing • Emphasis in all states is education, self-assessment, and self-regulation

37. Addressing Mobility • Peer-to-peer training – use of transit, para-transit, home delivery services • Mobility Advisor – training home health care workers • Community-based alternative transportation services – creative use of available vehicles

38. Future Trends • Aging in place • increased transit demand • more older pedestrians • transit-oriented development • Rising number of older motorcycle riders • Increased use of mobility scooters • Increased use of recreational vehicles

39. Motorcycle Safety Education • Mandatory Helmet Law • Partnerships with Motorcycle club for riders over age of 50 • Reconsideration of license endorsement testing requirements Slide 40

40. Mobility Scooters

41. Recreational Vehicles • Rural areas • Road Trains • Narrow paved surfaces

42. Research Activities • Older Driver Naturalistic Driving Study • Age-related Eye Disease • Medication Interactions • Older Recreational Vehicle Drivers • Enhanced Nighttime Pedestrian Identification through Bio-motion markers

43. Queensland University of Technology Test Track and Instrumented Vehicle

44. Implementation Topics • Enhancement of U.S. Roadway Design and Operations Practice • Outreach to Non-Traditional Partners • Targeted Research Program • Establish Land Use and Development Guidelines • Training for Transportation Providers

45. Questions