CARTEEH logo with green car and plant

Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)

A USDOT University Transportation Center

Reduce High-Risk Vehicle Travel

One approach to improve overall traffic safety is through targeted vehicle travel reductions such as minimizing driving by high-risk groups.1 Such drivers include teens, older adults, and impaired individuals (including drunk, drug-impaired, or drowsy drivers). For example, this can include improved public transit accessibility for these populations. Additionally, more affordable student and senior housing could be located closer to transit districts.

Considering this strategy will help achieve the goal of the following objectives

  • Less Contamination
  • Less Emissions
  • Less Traffic Noise
  • Connectivity and Inclusion
  • Healthy Destinations
  • Less Traffic Violence
  • Active Transportation
  • Green Space

Transportation lifecycle phases

This strategy is associated with the following transportation lifecycle phases:

  • Construction
  • End of Life
  • Maintenance
  • Material Selection
  • Operations
  • Policy and Planning
  • Project Development

Who's involved

  • Local governments
  • Transit agencies
  • Vulnerable road users
One approach to improve overall traffic safety is through targeted vehicle travel reductions such as minimizing driving by high-risk groups.1 Such drivers include teens, older adults, and impaired individuals (including drunk, drug-impaired, or drowsy drivers). For example, this can include improved public transit accessibility for these populations. Additionally, more affordable student and senior housing could be located closer to transit districts.

How it Helps

Prioritizing access to public transit and other alternative transportation options for youth, older adults, and impaired drivers can reduce the need to use a personal vehicle. Reductions in driving by higher-risk populations can reduce crash risk and promote safer driving conditions by other road users. Unfortunately, teens continue to be overrepresented among fatal vehicle crashes, and about 30% of all U.S. traffic fatalities involve drunk drivers.2,3 Additionally, older adults face numerous age-related risk factors while driving that makes them more likely to be involved in vehicle crashes.4 These risk factors include impaired vision and hearing, slower cognitive processing, and attention deficits.

Implementing

Location:

Expanding public transportation access to youth, older adults, and impaired drivers requires that transit stations are appropriately located. For example, public bus stops can be placed closer to schools and universities, retirement and nursing homes, and within bar districts. To reduce the incidence of drowsy driving, more bus stops can be located near hospitals and business districts with a high proportion of tired workers.

Education:

Introducing educational interventions to inform teens and other road users about the dangers of drinking and driving can raise awareness about responsible drinking behaviors.2 These educational programs can also include information about drug-impaired driving, drowsy driving, distracted driving, and other risky behaviors. Additionally, older driver education programs can be developed to inform older adults about their unique risk factors while driving in order to encourage safe behaviors and reduce crash risk.

Examples

1) National Institute of Aging

The National Institute of Aging, a division within the federal National Institutes of Health, contains relevant information such as risk factors for older drivers, how to recognize and handle unsafe driving behaviors, and safe driving tips for older adults.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/older-drivers

2) Parents Are the Key Campaign

Parents Are the Key, a campaign developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), provides information and resources to parents of teen drivers to help them promote safe driving behaviors. This initiative can also be used by pediatricians and other community partners.

https://www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey/index.html

1. American Public Transportation Association. (2016). The Hidden Traffic Safety Solution: Public Transportation. https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/Resources/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Hidden-Traffic-Safety-Solution-Public-Transportation.pdf
2. NHTSA. Teen Driving. https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving
3. NHTSA. Drunk Driving. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving
4. Boot, W. R., et al. (2013). Improving the Safety of Aging Road Users: A Mini-Review. Gerontology, 601, 90-96. https://doi.org/10.1159/000354212