A safe system guide for transportation: successful examples from communities in the U.S.

This report is a collaborative effort between the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Johns Hopkins University, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. This work’s objective is to produce a useful resource for communities that plan to deploy the Safe System approach in their transportation designs and services.

This report presents information to equip stakeholders to embark on their Safe System initiatives with knowledge of best practices and lessons learned from several U.S. communities. The recommendations and the six case studies presented in this report will help practitioners and safety advocates involved in adopting, implementing and sustaining use of the Safe System approach understand how to get started with building the partnerships that will be necessary for a comprehensive Safe System, and how to overcome potential obstacles.

Findings from the five group interviews suggested that there were four distinct phases that most communities navigated: getting started, building support, institutionalizing the approach, and sustaining the Safe System approach.

• The “Getting Started” phase involves initial assessments and planning, performed by leaders and ready implementers to showcase how the adoption of Safe Systems can make a difference in their communities.
• The “Building Support” phase focuses on garnering stakeholder buy-in and community engagement by starting simply, understanding others’ perspectives, engaging the community and celebrating success.
• The “Institutionalizing the Approach” phase focuses on the translation of Safe System principles into sustainable practices and securing resources.
• The “Sustaining the Safe System Approach” phase uses an evidence-based approach for a continuous improvement and ensures long-term commitment to overcome resistance to change.

The study also identified four critical roles: Champion, Influencers, Implementers and Supporters. The report provides a summary of their responsibilities, and the relationships necessary for developing, implementing, and sustaining a community-based approach.

In addition, six examples from U.S. communities that demonstrated the importance of a multifaceted, collaborative approach in successfully adopting and implementing the Safe System framework are presented as part of this report:

• Menlo Park, California (small-size urban community)
• McKenzie County, North Dakota (small-size rural community)
• West Hartford, Connecticut (small-size urban community)
• Madison, Wisconsin (mid-size urban community)
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (large-size urban community)
• Massachusetts (large-size community)

Read A safe system guide for transportation: successful examples from communities in the U.S. for more information.