The Road to a Culture of Safety A NACE choose your own adventure Wayne Sandberg, P.E.

1. The Road to a Culture of Safety A NACE choose your own adventure Wayne Sandberg, P.E. Washington County Deputy Public Works Director County Engineer

2. Where’s Minnesota?

3. About Minnesota 2 • Population: • 87 Counties • 8 MnDOT Districts • 5.32 Million Pop. • 92% Seat Belt Use • Washington County • East Metro 1 4 3 5 8 6 7

4. Toward Zero Deaths

5. Why Minnesota? • Minnesota has made improvements to highway safety – some are dramatic • Reduction in Fatalities since 2003 • Crash Rate amongst lowest in Nation 0.72 Fatal crashes per 100 million VMT • National Average is over >1

6. Why Minnesota? • Over the past decade – in Minnesota We have developed a culture of safety. • Partnership of agencies • Counties, MnDOT, Public Safety, Public Health • This culture is pervasive • Affects our thoughts and actions • Acts as initiative for change • Grows exponentially

7. Chose your own adventure • How can you create your own culture of safety? • Today you are going to create your own roadmap to your culture of safety CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE The Road to a Culture of Safety

8. Building a Culture of SafetyRoadway Safety Showcase • Mendocino County, California • Catalyst for culture • Team brought back ideas • Team was energized • What did we learn that was so important?

9. Building a Culture of SafetyRoadway Safety Showcase • There are no silver bullets for safety • Safety involves doing a lot of little things • Create a systemic approach in your jurisdiction • Proactively implement good solutions • Identify funding specifically for safety • Improve your signs • Guide signs • Curve Warning Signs

10. Building a Culture of SafetyPartnerships Local Police Chiefs and Departments University of Minnesota LTAP Civil Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mn Guidestar Professional Organizations ITE ITS America / MN APWA • Minnesota partners in safety • Toward Zero Deaths • MCEA Safety Committee • Minnesota Dept of Transportation • Public Health (state and local) • Department of Public Safety / State Patrol • County Sheriff Departments

11. ROADMAP #1 • Partnerships (choose one): • I will work with my association to create a county highway safety committee • In my own county – I will create a highway safety team – to include public health, sheriff, public works. • I will create an internal highway operations safety team comprised of operators and engineers to brainstorm safety ideas. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

12. Building a Culture of SafetyKnow your system • Minnesota Crash Mapping and Analysis Tool • Visit the sites of crashes – not just fatal but A injury too. • You have a right to crash reports on your roads – get them. • Look at it – what do you see? • How do you feel walking/standing at the site • What is YOUR engineering judgment telling you happened here?

13. Roadmap #2 • I will take my sheriff out to lunch. We will talk about safety and he/she will agree to: • call me to every fatal crash scene • Or..help me learn every local police chief on a first name basis by having breakfast with every one of them • Or…invite me to morning roll call once per month to deliver a safety/engineering message to the deputies CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

14. Building a Culture of SafetyKnow your system • Highway Maintenance Staff • The eyes and ears of your highway system. • Empower them to bring forward information to improve safety • They know stuff you don’t • Use to assist in roadway design

15. Roadmap #3 • Know your system (choose one): • I will ride along with my snowplow operators for a shift once a month over the winter • Or…I will have lunch with my maintenance staff at least twice per month • Or…I will visit at least one location of an Fatal or A injury per week for the entire summer. • Or…I will incorporate my maintenance team into my road design processes by asking them what the problems are, and then a 30% plan review CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

16. Building a Culture of SafetyProactive Safety • Implement what you learn in areas that are similar…proactively…systemically. • Black Spot Analysis / Pin Maps • Oops, better do something. • This is not effective • You are chasing crashes – they already happened • In rural areas – you never have enough crashes to create black spots • The Answer = PROACTIVE

17. Roadmap #4 • Proactive Solutions (choose one): • I will develop one proactive solution based on my field knowledge • and….I will implement this in at least one additional location that is similar. • Or….I will implement a curve chevron program in my county – (at every curve with a advisory > 10 mph less than posted). • Or…I will implement the Safety Edge on every future paving project. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

18. Building a Culture of SafetyFunding • Creating a fund specifically for safety is important to the culture • Minnesota HSIP example • 2010: 54% of Minnesota’s 411 fatalities occurred on local system.

19. Building a Culture of SafetyFunding 2 1 Funds split based on percent of K and A crashes in each District. Example: • 12% of K and A crashes occurred in District 6 (3-yr period). • District 6 receives 12% of annual HSIP funding. 4 3 5 8 6 7

20. Roadmap #5 • Safety Funding (choose one): • Work with your state/ATP to promote specific funding for local safety projects • OR….work within your 2013 budget to develop a safety category • The amount isn’t as important as getting this category started • Example – Washington Co. - $100,000 in “Safety and Capacity” CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

21. Building a Culture of SafetyLegislature • Get to know your legislators. • You provide them with access to: • Knowledge • Expertise • Opinion • ASK them for stuff – this is how our government works • They want to get you stuff • They want credit for it

22. Building a Culture of SafetyLegislature • Local Road Improvement Program • Started in 2001 • Expanded in 2005 • Proposed funding this year – $14.2M • Focus on Safety

23. Roadmap #6 • Contact each of your legislators to discuss transportation before the session starts. Build a relationship. • Or…volunteer to testify on a legislative item for your organization • Or…join your organizations legislative committee as an active member CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

24. Building a Culture of SafetyYou • You are an expert • You are a professional • What do you profess? • Where do you profess it? • Your can make connections other can’t • You have influence others don’t • You can make a difference

25. Roadmap #7 • Offer to give a speech about highway safety, or your highway program • Rotary, Lions, etc • Your child's school • City Councils / Town Boards • County Fair • Next Year at NACE • Use Social Media to promote information CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

26. Conclusion • Your Roadmap is filled out • You’ve chosen your own adventure • CHALLENGE: • Bring this back to your office • Hang it up so everyone can see it • Have your staff hold you accountable. • If you do this – you will save a life • And…you may be up here presenting next year…

27. Questions / Discussion • Wayne Sandberg • County Engineer • Deputy Public Works Director • Washington County Public Works • 651-430-4339 • wayne.sandberg@co.washington.mn.us • www.co.washington.mn.us