Roadway Safety Tools for Local Agencies (2003)

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25 CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS The following are the summary conclusions drawn from the text of this synthesis report. Detailed guidance on how to use this report in practice can be found in Table 1, chapter one. • All crashes are local, which puts a local focus on this quote from AASHTO’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. “The current crash projections are unacceptable: 1 in 84 children will die violently in a highway crash during his or her lifetime; 6 in 10 will be injured, many more than once. We must not be lulled into complacency by day- to-day statistics. Existing efforts are not acceptable.” • To achieve the stated U.S. goal of a 20% reduction in fatalities, or saving 8,000 lives annually, local agencies will need help. The synthesis provides guidance to help local agencies implement safety improvement programs by applying the best and most appropriate tools. Local agencies are essential if there is to be success, and help- ing these agencies is the purpose of this synthesis. • Safety practices should be tailored to the problems and resources of an agency; there is no one-size-fits-all safety solution. • Large financial commitments and complex analysis are not always necessary to implement a successful local safety program. • A documented local roadway safety program is a proven safety tool. Recognizing the need to imple- ment even a rudimentary safety program is the necessary first step. The selection of safety tools to meet the individual local agency’s needs is next. The key to local roadway safety then becomes develop- ing and implementing the selected tools into a con- tinuing program. • Once the program is established, it is important to keep current by checking for the latest references, websites on research, and using Local Technical Assistance Program centers as effective resources.