Brief Biography

1
Brief Biography

• Jacob K. Ojera P.E.
• Background
• Transplanted Colorado native
• Born in Uganda, East Africa
• Career Highlights
• 18 years with the Colorado Department of
  Transportation (CDOT)
• 16 years of roadway design experience with CDOT
• Project experiences include NEPA studies, roadway
  and Interchange design
• Currently CADD manager
• Contact Information
• Jacob Ojera
• Colorado Department of Transportation,
• 4201 E. Arkansas,
• Denver, CO 80222

2

• AASHTO
  Subcommittee on Design Presentation
• Successes in
  Reducing Highway Fatalities in Colorado
• 
  July 2008
• Roadway Fatality Trends
• In 1977, Colorado had 3.8 fatalities per 100
  million vehicle miles of travel
• By the year 2006, the rate declined to 1.10
• Since the states all-time high of 743 fatalities
  in 2002, Colorados roadway fatalities have been
  on a downward trend, decreasing by 25.4 in 2007.
• Major causes of Roadway Fatalities
• Impaired driving
• Lack of use of occupant protection devices
• Young driver behaviors
• Aggressive driving
• Below are graphs showing
• Colorados successes.

3

• The majority of Colorados Lane Departure fatal
  crashes occur on rural roadways
• Colorado has developed a new methodology of
  identifying locations with potential for accident
  reduction, and has been applying it to all
  projects. This includes the selection criteria
  for our Hazard Elimination (HES) Program. 
• HES funds are used at locations with potential
  for accident reduction, to prevent vehicles from
  leaving the roadway, for removing roadside
  obstacles, and to reduce intersection crashes.
  This methodology is supported by many years of
  research and papers accepted and published by
  TRB.  This has been a major contributing factor
  in reducing the severity of crashes in the
  State. 
• Above is a graph of the Rural Fatal Crashes in
  Colorado since 2001.  This significant reduction
  is a result of identifying crashes that are
  susceptible to correction in a cost effective
  manner and applying the proper fix to that crash
  type, versus coming up with a countermeasure and
  applying it around the state.

4

• Reasons for Successes
• Colorados Behavioral and Engineering programs
• Colorado instituted an Integrated safety plan
  that focuses on roadway safety through education,
  enforcement, engineering and emergency services
  with a goal of
• Reducing traffic crash fatalities and injuries
• Further reducing deaths on Colorados highways
  in the future
• Defining transportation safety goals and
  objectives
• Specific safety projects and funding for
  implementation and
• Strategies for achieving goals
• Attached are slides highlighting aspects of
  Colorados safety plan and behavioral programs.

5
Safety and Traffic EngineeringTraffic
Records(Data Management)
6
Safety and Traffic EngineeringTraffic
Records(Data Management)
Traffic Records Team Rahim Marandi, PE Traffic
Records Manager/FARS Supervisor David Bourget,
PE Grants Project Manager Charles Keep Data
Analyst/FARS Analyst Rick Davis Data
Analyst/FARS back-up Analyst Carmen Gomez Data
Analyst Kevin Dietrick Data Analyst/FARS back-up
Analyst
Purpose of Traffic Records Unit is to provide
data to support the Behavioral and Engineering
Programs
7
Fatalities Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

• U.S. Department of Transportation
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  (NHTSA)
• National Center for Statistics Analysis (NCSA)
• Department of Transportations, e. g., CDOT

Colorado FARS Program
Kevin Deitrick FARS Back-up Analyst
Charles Keep FARS Analyst
Rahim Marandi FARS Supervisor
8
Uses of FARS data
Safety and Traffic EngineeringTraffic
Records(Data Management)

• BAC and Drug Legislation
• Motorcycle Helmet Usage Legislation
• Repeated offenders
• Restraint usage laws
• High Speed differential reduction
• Safety design of cars and light trucks
• Safety of large trucks on the highway
• Airbag effectiveness research

9
Safety and Traffic EngineeringTraffic
Records(Data Management)

• Where does FARS Data comes from?
• Police Crash Reports
• State Vehicle Registration Files
• State Driver Licensing Files
• State Highway Department Crash Data
• Vital Statistics/Death Certificates
• Coroner/Medical Examiner Reports
• Hospital Medical Records
• Emergency Medical Services Reports

10
Impaired Drivingand Occupant Protection Safety
Programs

• PEOPLE AND PROGRAMS SAVING LIVES

11
MISSION STATEMENT

• To reduce the incidence and severity of motor
  vehicle crashes and the human and economic loss
  associated with motor vehicle crashes.
• What We Do
• In support of this mission, the units work
  closely with Colorado communities, law
  enforcement, and traffic safety experts to design
  and implement projects to proactively address the
  states emerging and persistent traffic safety
  challenges.

12
Impaired Driving Program Goals
13
Occupant Protection Program Goals
14
Program Funding

• CDOT applies for and receives Federal funding
  from National Highway Traffic Safety (NHTSA)
• for
• 410 funding-Alcohol-Impaired Driving
• 2010 funding-Motorcycle Safety
• 1906 funding-Prevent Racial Profiling
• 408 funding-Data Improvement
• 402 funding-Highway Safety Programs
• CDOT receives State funds by statute for
• LEAF-Law Enforcement Assistance Fund
• MOST-Motorcycle Operator Safety Training

15
Training and Technical Assistance Programs

• Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (DUI
  roadsides)
• Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program
• National DRE/Impaired Driving Conference
• Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor
• Law Enforcement Coordinator
• Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification

16
Young Drivers Education

• Underage Drinking Prevention Project
• MADD
• Summit Prevention Alliance
• Motorcycle Operator Safety Training
• ABATE Trike, Motorcycle PR campaign
• DUI Simulator
• Prohibit Racial Profiling

17

• Occupant Protection Programs
• Occupant Protection-16 projects
• Safe Communities-3 projects
• Pedestrian and Bicycles-3 projects
• Memorial Sign Program
• Occupant Protection
• Child Passenger Safety and Outreach
• Minority and Rural Focused Programs
• Occupant Protection Enforcement-Click it or
  Ticket
• Annual Seat Belt Survey
• Teen Traffic Safety

18
Colorado Fatalities

• Total Fatalities
• 2004 667 Alcohol Related 265
  39.7
• 2005 606 Alcohol Related 252
  41.5
• 2006 535 Alcohol Related 226
  42.4
• 2007 554 Alcohol Related 217
  39.1
• Motorcycle Total Fatalities
• 2004 81
• 2005 87
• 2006 74
• 2007 90
• 2008 12 (As of 5/01/08)

19

• Impaired Driving Programs
• Glenn Davis 303-757-9462
• glenn.davis_at_dot.state.co.us
• Occupant Protection Programs
• Carol Gould 303-757-9468
• Carol.gould_at_dot.state.co.us
• Capt. Bruce Sheetz Law Enforcement Coordinator
  
• 303-757-9463
• bruce.sheetz_at_dot.state.co.us

20
Colorado of Transportation "Click It or Ticket"
Campaign and Teen Outreach
No other safety program has the same bottom
line potential for reducing traffic deaths and
injuries due to lack of safety belt usage.
21
What is Click It or Ticket?

• NHTSA developed the program.
• An intensive and short duration Selective Traffic
  Enforcement Program (sTEP) with the objective to
  raise seat belt use statewide
• Concerted enforcement of secondary seat belt laws
  through speeding and hazardous driving contacts
• Intense public information campaign running prior
  to and concurrently with the enforcement blitz
• sTEPs are a proven method to change motorists
  behavior and do it quickly

22
Colorado Click It or Ticket

• Team Effort
• CDOT Safety and Traffic Engineering Branch and
  Public Relations Office
• Colorado State Patrol
• Local law enforcement agencies
• Local traffic safety coalitions
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  (NHTSA)

23
Program Improvement Ideas

• Begin outreach to teens earlier.
• Designate coalition representative to coordinate
  earned media activities.
• Help us find safety belt survivors.
• Law enforcement schedules.
• Incorporate CIOT activities/messaging into other
  non- traffic safety community events.

24
Click It or Ticket Campaign Goals

• Save lives and reduce injuries in traffic crashes
  by creating an enforcement perception that will
  influence part-time and non-belt users to buckle
  up
• Partner and interact with safety groups and
  coalitions to gain citizen support and political
  permission
• Increase statewide seat belt use to 82.5 by 2007
  and to 85.0 by 2010