HighLight Heading
June 2007
Special Research Conference Issue: Concurrent Sessions
Researchers aim to better understand rural road safety
Alec More
Tyler Patterson
New work being done to better understand rural road safety was a hot topic at this year’s research conference. Alec More, a research assistant at the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety (CERS), is working with CERS director Lee Munnich on a national study to identify best practices in rural transportation safety. Though the research is in its early stages, More said some key themes are beginning to emerge.
One of those themes is a lack of understanding of how to report on rural safety issues. “Many states are unsure about reporting requirements,” he said. “States are looking for guidance.” The researchers hope to establish a new standard in communication between states about rural safety by collecting information that has never been gathered previously. This is especially important because more fatalities occur on rural roads each year than on urban ones.
In the preliminary stages of the study, the CERS researchers surveyed states to determine the key causes of accidents on rural roadways. Ultimately, speed combined with drinking and driving proved to be one of the most prominent concerns. In addition, lack of funding, education, and enforcement also play a role.
In his presentation, More cited Washington, Utah, and Vermont as states that have taken significant action to prevent rural crashes. Washington has even installed centerline rumble strips on rural roadways in hopes of preventing more crashes. And while the research is still in its early stages, More believes that the “data can tell a story” in moving toward fewer crashes.
In a more localized study, CERS research assistant Tyler Patterson presented his findings for rural road safety in Minnesota. Of all roadway fatalities in Minnesota, about 70 percent occur on rural roadways—bringing attention to the need for better understanding of rural roadway safety. Patterson explained that young male drivers are a special concern, because they cause 71 percent of fatal crashes, based on research done in an east-central Minnesota study of Chisago, Isanti, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, and Pine counties.
“This is spot-on with the state average,” he said.
Another problem is impaired driving. Patterson highlighted one program in Isanti County under Judge James Dehn, which is helping to solve the impaired-driving problem. Dehn has implemented a staggered sentencing program for people who have been arrested for drinking and driving. Staggered sentencing works by separating a one-year sentence into three parts. The first part is served in jail and the second part at home with an electronic Breathalyzer check-in. If the first two-thirds prove to be successful, the last third of the sentence is forgiven. Of 61 people that have gone through the program, only four have re-offended, Patterson said.
Dehn’s program also includes a contest rewarding high school students for coming up with witty slogans against teenage drinking. And the community is becoming involved by keeping bars aware of individuals who were arrested after drinking at their establishments.
While both More’s and Patterson’s research are still in early stages, their work will help determine best practices for improving safety on rural roads.