1. Traffic Safety Programs and Safety Culture
John Webber, Interim Director
Division of Traffic Safety
Illinois Department of Transportation
Presented at the Illinois Traffic Engineering and Safety Conference in Champaign, Illinois

2. Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)
MAP-21 Challenges:
Improve safety
Maintain infrastructure condition
Reduce traffic congestion
Improve system efficiency and freight movement
Protect the environment
Reduce delays in project delivery
In 2012 Congress passed a new reauthorization.
03:40
Division of Traffic Safety

3. Illinois Highway Safety Program Areas
Occupant Protection
Impaired Driving
Speed Control
Traffic Records
Emergency Medical Services
Pedestrian/Bicycle
Motorcycle Safety
Large Truck
Police Traffic Services
Distracted Driving
We are required to identify those programs most effective in reducing crashes, injuries, and deaths, and eligible use of highway safety funds awarded to the State of Illinois
While NHTSA is required by statute to identify those programs highly effective in reducing the crashes, injuries, and deaths, and eligible use of 402 funds….states have the latitude to determine their own highway safety problems, goals, and program emphasis BASED on their DATA.

4. Required Performance Measures in Illinois Based on Six years of Data (2008-2012)
Actual Figures
Projected Figures
Required Core Measures
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Total Fatalities
 1,043
911
927
918
956
Total Serious Injuries
13,404
13,008
12,636
11,945
11,562
11,081
10,608
Total Fatality Rate
0.86
0.88
0.89
0.92
0.935
0.95
Rural Fatality Rate
1.52
1.49
1.58
1.64
1.67
1.71
Urban Fatality Rate
0.64
0.67
0.65
0.68
Unrestrained Occ. Fatalities
338
265
261
268
264
236
221
Impaired Drivers and Motorcyclists
356
313
292
278
246
195
Speed Related Fatalities
386
325
438
439
465
492
519
Motorcyclist Fatalities
135
130
131
145
148
150
154
Unhelmeted Motorcyclists 97 99
106
110
115
120
124
Young Drivers involved in Fatal Crashes
119
146
122
117
114
109
Pedestrian Fatalities
112
138
Belt Usage Rate
90.5
91.7
92.6
92.9
93.6
93.7
95.2

5. Total Fatality Rate per 100M VMT
The overall fatality rates for both Illinois and US have declined . Illinois has significantly lower fatality rate than the US.
Division of Traffic Safety at IDOT

6. Total Fatalities by Month During in 2011, 2012, and 2013

7. Total Fatal and Injury Related Crash Data in Illinois (2002-2012)
Crash Level Data
Person Level Data
Year
Fatal Crashes
Injury Crashes
Serious Injury Crashes
Fatalities
Injuries
Serious Injuries
2002
1,273
87,385
14,324
1,420
127,618
19,176
2003
1,308
88,483
13,708
1,454
131,135
18,354
2004
1,224
83,926
13,915
1,355
121,636
18,572
2005
1,233
79,219
13,738
1,363
112,322
18,231
2006
1,136
75,252
13,377
1,254
106,742
17,490
2007
1,126
73,209
12,084
1,248
103,193
15,864
2008
950
67,861
10,415
1,043
94,155
13,401
2009
832
63,439
10,026
911
89,298
13,007
2010
858
63,590
9,807
927
89,038
12,631
2011
835
60,063
9,250
918
84,219
11,938
2012
886
60,255
9,647
956
83,771
12,398

8. Major Accomplishments
Reduction in total Fatalities and Injuries over the last five years
High Belt Use (93.7%)
Higher Message Awareness of safety belt and alcohol awareness (Over 90%)
Improvement in Alcohol-Related Fatalities (lower in absolute number)
Establishment of Sustained Enforcement Activities
Improvement in crash data reporting (Timeliness, Accessibility, and Data Integration)

9. Historical Data on Fatality and Safety Belt Usage Rates in Illinois
Primary Belt Law for
Back Seat Occupants
Among 38 Local
Enforcement
Ordinances
Primary
Click it or Ticket
Campaign
Initiated
Primary Belt
Law Passed
/Minority Focus
Rural CIOT
Data Source: Observational Survey and FARS

10. Number of Lives Saved As a Result of Safety Belt Use in Illinois (1985-2012)

11. Challenges (Occupant Protection)
Lower belted occupant fatalities
Lower usage rate among minority drivers
Lower usage rate among young male drivers
Low usage rate at night among those who fatally injured
Lower usage rate among back seat occupants

12. Challenge (Alcohol/Speed)
Higher % alcohol-related fatalities
Lower rate of state and local agency participation during alcohol campaigns
Accurate Problem IDs for the State and local agencies to select high crash locations to patrol
High % speed related fatalities
Accurate and reasonable coding of alcohol-related and speed related fatalities
Division of Traffic Safety

14. Strategies to Combat Nighttime Belt Use and Alcohol Problems
September 15-16, 2008
Strategies to Combat Nighttime Belt Use and Alcohol Problems
In 2007, improved focus on nighttime enforcement by asking law enforcement agencies to shift half of enforcement activities to nights.
Since 2011, all our enforcement grantees were required to conduct enforcement activities at night during major belt and alcohol campaigns.
Nighttime hours are 11 PM – 6 AM

15. Major Enforcement Campaigns in Illinois
Thanksgiving (Belt)
Memorial Day (Belt)
Christmas (Alcohol)
July 4th (Alcohol)
Super Bowl (Belt/Alcohol)
Labor Day (Alcohol)
St. Patrick's (Belt/Alcohol)
Unassigned (locals)◦
Cinco De Mayo
(Belt/Alcohol)
Unassigned (ISP)†
† The hours and citations for the unassigned enforcement could not be broken down by daytime and nighttime enforcement activities.
◦ Unassigned (locals) indicates local enforcement agencies conducted additional enforcement outside the required holiday campaigns.

16. Challenge (Non Occupants/Others)
Pedestrian/Pedal-cycle
Motorcycle Riders (Increases in motorcyclist deaths threaten gains made in other areas)
Large Truck
Others
Distracted Driving including cell phone and text messaging

17. Pedestrian Fatalities
Projected
Figures

18. Total Number of Fatal Crashes Involving Large Trucks and Buses

19. Motorcyclist Fatalities
Projected
Figures

20. Plans for 2014
Keep up the great participation in Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Allocate higher % enforcement
Focus on nighttime belt and alcohol enforcement
Blend messages on both
Focus on high-accident populations/areas
Add motorcycle emphasis to impaired and improper licensing crackdowns
Add large truck awareness and cooperation

21. Plan for 2014 (Focusing on Kids)
Seat belt and speed enforcement zones near high schools
High visibility impaired enforcement mobilizations
Strict enforcement of passenger and nighttime restrictions

22. Contact Information
John Webber, Director
Division of Traffic Safety at IDOT
1340 North 9th
Springfield, IL 62702
DTS’ Evaluation Website: