Safety is something that all individuals desire, and they expect that public roadway agencies will provide means of helping people travel efficiently and safely. Although all road users are at risk of serious crashes and resulting injuries, people who are black, Hispanic, indigenous, and/or live in rural areas have been found to be more impacted by traffic crashes compared to others. An equitable transportation system ensures that there is safe, reliable, and affordable mobility to meet the needs of all community members despite their income, age, abilities, or color.
There are growing concerns also with environmental issues, which will especially impact the health and safety of low-income areas having limited resources and transportation options. To alleviate these issues, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has a goal of creating a transportation industry with little to no fatalities or serious injuries for all citizens. The key strategies that FHWA is using are to improve safety data systems and other technologies, continue research on automated vehicles, implement regulations and policies on projects, and have a wide range of diversity within public agencies.
Read the whole article at FHWA’s Public Roads Magazine