Technology offers promise to improve rural safety
U.S. Rep. James Oberstar
Nationwide, rural highways are the setting for a disproportionate number of injuries and fatalities. In Minnesota, more than two-thirds of traffic fatalities occur in rural areas. Two University of Minnesota researchers shared how technology may reduce these tragic numbers at a special briefing held in March for U.S. Rep. James Oberstar.
The event, moderated by Cheri Marti of Minnesota LTAP, was held in Cambridge, Minnesota, and began with opening comments by the city's mayor, Marlys Palmer. Others in the audience represented Mn/DOT, the Cambridge city council, Isanti County, and other area organizations.
Bob Bollenbeck, transportation planning director of the East Central Regional Development Commission, and Isanti County judge Jim Dehn kicked off the briefing with an overview of Isanti and Mille Lacs Counties' efforts in the Toward Zero Deaths Program (TZD). TZD, a Minnesota interagency partnership, brings together community and corridor groups to improve traffic safety in a designated area.
The session then turned to a presentation by Professor Max Donath, director of the University's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Institute, on rural intersection research. Seventy percent of intersection fatalities take place in rural areas, Donath said. The Institute's research focuses on how technology at unsignalized intersections can help drivers waiting to cross or merge onto a busy rural highway decide if the gap before an oncoming vehicle is large enough to proceed safely.
Sensors monitor oncoming traffic
This intersection decision support (IDS) technology—made up of traffic surveillance cameras, wireless communications, and roadside radar units—works in ground fog and other low-visibility conditions. In their work, researchers are using an instrumented rural intersection south of the Twin Cities, along with a driving simulator on the Minneapolis campus for more structured analysis.
The researchers are especially interested in the age of at-fault drivers, Donath said, in order to develop better, more intuitive ways to relay information. Eight seconds is about the right gap length, but some drivers take gaps as short as two seconds—an "unbelievably small gap," he said. The simulator studies indicate that drivers age 75 and above have the greatest accident involvement ratio, and those older than 66 are three to seven times more likely to be in a crash. "Clearly, older drivers are over-represented," he noted.
The research team is studying various types of signs in the driving simulator to determine which are most effective for older and younger drivers. Early data indicate that drivers choose longer gaps using the technology.
The research is part of a multi-state pooled-fund consortium that is looking at many other types of intersection crashes, Donath added. The Institute is also working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, four state DOTs, and 17 auto equipment manufacturers to plan deployment of this technology.
Thomas Horan, research fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, then discussed the role of technology in responding to rural crashes. The good news, he began, is that cell phone use and the related rise in communications mean more data are available; the bad news is the demand this places on dispatch systems. Minutes matter in emergency response, but calls must travel through an array of agencies, from 911 to dispatch to fire department and hospital.
Horan's research looks at how technology can improve end-performance. To do so, he conducted a year-long case study of the Baxter/Brainerd area to gauge the demand for emergency response and the need for technology. In 2002, the time between when an accident was reported to when victims arrived at a hospital averaged 51 minutes in rural areas versus 33 minutes in urban areas. "This is problematic when minutes mean lives," Horan said.
While rural delays are due in part to geography, staffing issues are also a problem. In addition, Horan learned no government unit is responsible for improving coordination among transportation operation control centers. "That's where TZD has provided some help," he said.
In the current phase of his research, Horan is conducting interviews to determine rural safety problems, encourage innovative deployments of technology, and foster organizational collaboration. "Using technology to respond in rural areas should be a top transportation, health, and economic priority," Horan concluded.
Rep. Oberstar then shared his thoughts on the morning's presentations. Rural safety is important for urban residents as well as rural dwellers, he began. Many urbanites drive on rural roads, especially in tourist areas such as Baxter/Brainerd, and face unfamiliar conditions such as ground fog and blind intersections. "Any technology that can help us overcome that [unfamiliarity] is extremely valuable," he stated.
Rural residents have fewer choices and little transit, Oberstar concluded, which means higher costs for every phase of transportation. "One cost that should not be tolerated," he declared, "is the cost of lives and property damage."
In the closing audience discussion, Dick Larson of Mille Lacs County praised the University's research and urged Oberstar to encourage its speedy deployment. Marti closed the briefing by thanking Oberstar for his national transportation leadership and strong support for University of Minnesota research.
—Pamela Snopl, LTAP editor