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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Merged Crash Data and DMV Intervention Programs</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2725248</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Risky behaviors are recognized by the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Transportation Safety Action Plan as a contributor to fatal and severe traffic injury. It is the objective of the DMV’s risky driver diversion program to reduce the frequency of crashes caused by repeat traffic offenders by removing them from the roadway until they are deemed safe to return. Until recently, based on research performed by ODOT’s research office and the Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it was not possible to robustly evaluate how ODOT’s risky driver diversion program strategies such as the habitual traffic offender (HTO) program, the Oregon driver improvement program (DIP), the driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII) program, and the at-risk driver program perform in making Oregon streets safely. There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs to maximize  efforts to improve the safety of road users in Oregon.

This evaluation will confirm which programs are producing positive safety improvements. Policy recommendations for shifting the triggering thresholds for certain diversion programs or modifying their delivery in other ways based on the risk profiles of Oregon drivers, specifically the relationships between citations and crashes experienced in Oregon, will be developed.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:03:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2725248</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 57-13. Practices to Improve DOT Employee Vehicle Safety and Reduce Workplace Driving Incidents



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630484</link>
      <description><![CDATA[BACKGROUND - State department of transportation (DOT) employees spend a significant amount of work time behind the wheel in a variety of light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity. Research notes that driving is the leading cause of workplace deaths and results in 1.95 million workdays being lost each year. It identifies distracted driving, speeding, and failure to wear a seat belt as common contributing factors to motor vehicle crashes and injuries. 

A number of fatal incidents have occurred involving vehicles running off the road or backing up. Some state DOTs use defensive driving, seatbelt use incentives, driver agreements, or other driver improvement training to improve education, awareness, and skills, but issues remain. As state DOTs continue to explore opportunities to improve their agency’s safety performance, a synthesis that captures initiatives regarding employee vehicle safety can inform the national audience about this impactful area.

OBJECTIVE - The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices regarding employee driving and vehicle safety programs for state DOT employees. An important focus of this synthesis project will be on proactive policies and processes aimed at reducing incidents attributed to actions or behaviors of state DOT employees.

Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to): (1) DOT organizational and structural characteristics that may influence training or safe driving enforcement (permanent or temporary employees; union or non-union workforces; contractors or non-contractors); (2) Agencies that supervise the training or safe driving enforcement (for example, human resources in the DOT, or a statewide agency; a centralized, semi-centralized, or decentralized DOT); (3) Employee characteristics and classifications (tenure of employees, contract employees, or supervisory capacity); (4) State DOT use of safe vehicle technologies (e.g., vehicle monitoring systems); (5) Components of an employee driving training program; (6) Existence of employee driving metrics (e.g. telematics, etc.);
(7) How telematics data are used for employee engagement and driving training; (8) Existence of agency practices for installing or requiring safety equipment on fleet or contracted vehicles to protect vulnerable users (e.g. policies for side guards, mirrors, and backup cameras, procurement policies for selecting smaller vehicles, etc.); (9) Incentives (e.g., total score awards), disincentives (e.g., zero tolerance policy) used related to employee driving behaviors; (10) Benefits and challenges of employee driving programs at different stage; (11) Implementation and evaluation strategies for employee driving programs; and (12) Written policies and procedures for employee driving programs.

Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be identified.

Information sources (partial): (1) Dadi, G. D., Sturgill, R. E., Jr., and Ramadan, B. 2023. NCHRP Synthesis 608: Practices to Motivate Safe Behaviors with Highway Construction and Maintenance Crews. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board. https://doi.org/10.17226/27176. (2) NCHRP Synthesis 20-05/Topic 56-10, “Practices to Reduce Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) for State DOT Employees.” https://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5721.
(3) Dadi, G. B., Sturgill R. E., Jr., Zamaan Al-Shabbani, Z., and Ammar, A. 2022. NCHRP Synthesis 591: Use of Safety Management Systems in Managing Highway Maintenance Worker Safety. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board. https://doi.org/10.17226/26672. (4) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Compliance, Safety, and Accountability Program: Driver Safety Education Center. https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/yourrole/drivers. (5) Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/motor_vehicle_guide.pdf.
(6) Smith System. Employee Vehicle Crashes: By the Numbers. 2020.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 17:42:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630484</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Advancing the Motorcoach Seatbelt Promotional Campaign on Regularly Scheduled Routes and Charter Services in New England to Reduce Fatalities and Injury Severity</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2472697</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Despite federal mandates requiring seatbelt installation on new motorcoaches since 2016, passenger seatbelt usage remains critically low, with rates under 5% compared to 90% in automobiles. This study seeks to improve motorcoach safety by developing and testing a set of promotional actions, implemented onboard, at boarding platforms, and in terminals, to encourage seatbelt use. The project will measure the impact of these actions through pre- and post-intervention seatbelt usage counts across New England routes and explore opportunities for state and federal regulatory support. By disseminating an expanded promotional kit and engaging stakeholders, the research aims to establish industry-wide best practices for seatbelt promotion, supporting the intent of safety regulations and reducing fatalities and injuries in motorcoach travel.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Dec 2024 10:12:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2472697</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Click It or Ticket Evaluation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2447244</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective of this project is to conduct an evaluation of the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) program as currently implemented. The evaluation will include both a nationally representative survey and a quasi-experiment comparing seat belt use at sites with varying levels of CIOT-related law enforcement participation and media exposure. To this end, the following will be collected or obtained: seat belt observations; surveys of program awareness, perceived risk of ticketing, and self-reported behavior change; locations of media placements and estimated or actual impressions; census data on demographic and other potentially relevant factors; citation data, including times and locations of violations, and demographic information on offenders, if available; number of participating law enforcement agencies; law enforcement hours contributed; and, locations and times of related law enforcement activity. A secondary objective of this project is to disaggregate and attribute, to the extent they are found to exist, observed effects of CIOT on seat belt use rates to the program’s enforcement and messaging components.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:35:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2447244</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary’s Office of Safety ‘Safety Academy’</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2417075</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Despite the recent expansion of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC)’s employee safety and health program, employee turnover has meant knowledge of the program varies widely among district personnel. District safety coordinators are the primary staff involved in employee safety and health, however, all employees have a responsibility to lead with a safety-first mindset. A recent SPR project (24-56-3) uncovered a significant disconnect between mid-level management and the safety program. As such, Cabinet staff would benefit significantly from a short course training program that educates district safety coordinators and mid-level managers on the safety program, empowers them to take ownership of safety-related issues, and positions them to lead their employees toward a safer and healthier workplace.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 12 Aug 2024 13:26:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2417075</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Strategies to Improve Safe Behaviors of Highway Construction Workers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2341569</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Safety and well-being of the workforce remain an ever-present challenge and critical to meeting state departments of transportation (DOTs), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) missions to promote and apply safe work behaviors.  Despite significant efforts, the highway construction and maintenance sector has consistently reported magnitude higher recordable injury rates than most other occupational sectors.  One of the practices that have been shown to be effective in curbing the frequency and severity of incidents in the construction industry is applying incentive programs that have focused on improving the reporting culture of unsafe conditions as well as supporting continual learning.  Incentive safety programs have the capacity to reinforce positive behavior and discourage risky decisions through negative consequences.  The intended outcome of this study is to produce guidance on the critical evaluation of safety incentive programs within state DOTs.  The guidance will also identify critical success factors, opportunities and challenges, and strategies for implementing safety incentives and disincentive programs to mitigate the risk of accidents for highway construction and maintenance workers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:25:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2341569</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>MDOT Safety Gap Analysis</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2264431</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2016, MDOT launched an agency-wide safety program, including a safety manual, as well as the Safety Pledge. Each District now has a Safety Officer, and MDOT has regular safety meetings.  In the 6 years since the program launched, technology continues to change rapidly, and on-boarding new employees, as well as keeping all employees safe, whether in the field, office, vehicle, etc.  MDOT wishes to revisit the safety program by evaluating current efforts, talking with other states to get ideas for improvement, and implementing recommendations. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:29:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2264431</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Social Norming for Seat Belt use</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2256371</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this Task Order is to provide the basis for one or more future social norming occupant protection programs. To this end, it will involve creating a set of documents, based on review of existing empirical research and theory pertaining to social norming in traffic safety and other domains, to inform the development and implementation of social norming programs to increase seat belt use. The documents will include a practitioner’s resource for social norming program development, two social norming strategy frameworks to guide future program development, two implementation plans to guide the implementation of the social norming strategies, and theory-based assessments of two current or previously conducted social norming traffic safety programs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:26:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2256371</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Guide for Applying Safe System Principles in the Road Safety Audit Process</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2219024</link>
      <description><![CDATA[With the United States beginning to engage in the Safe System Approach (SSA) to road safety, opportunities exist to update current tools. A road safety audit (RSA), known as a road safety assessment in some agencies, is one such tool. The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Road Safety Audit Guidelines defines an RSA as a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary audit team. FHWA provides guidelines for RSAs throughout the project life cycle, and RSAs of existing roads (also referred to as road safety inspections) are commonly used in jurisdictions of all levels. However, in the United States, RSAs are less frequently used to evaluate projects in the project planning and design phases.

RSAs typically begin earlier in the planning and project development processes in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand as a proactive approach to roadway safety. In Guide to Road Safety Part 6: Road Safety Audit, Austroads defines an RSA as a formal examination of a future road or traffic project or an existing road or road-related area, in which an independent, qualified team reports on the project’s crash potential and actual safety performance, respectively. Austroads considers RSAs conducted early in the project development process to be the most cost-effective because safety features can be incorporated before construction.

RSAs are well suited to incorporating SSA principles, as proven by international examples of RSA guides with safe system elements. In the United States, updated RSA processes have the potential to raise awareness of safe system concepts and provide practitioners with direction on how to apply the SSA. In addition, transportation agencies can benefit from adapting international best practices for RSAs and road safety inspections. 

Research is needed to support state departments of transportation with incorporating the SSA into RSA processes and implementing RSAs during project planning and development.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a guide with a framework and tools to help transportation agencies integrate safe system principles into RSA processes throughout the project life cycle with an emphasis on implementing RSAs throughout the planning and project development phases.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:02:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2219024</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing Behavioral Traffic Safety Efforts to Engage Underserved Communities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2205312</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Traffic crash fatalities disproportionately affect underserved communities, in particular people of color. This long-standing and systemic problem reinforces the need to implement highway safety programs more equitably, with an increased focus on underserved communities.

State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and other safety organizations have undertaken a variety of efforts to more effectively engage underserved communities, but these state and local efforts are fragmented and not documented. SHSOs, their subrecipients, and other safety organizations would benefit from information regarding past and ongoing efforts that effectively engage underserved communities to address critical safety issues. Identifying lessons learned, recommendations to effectively engage with underserved communities, communication methods, and metrics to evaluate outcomes would help bolster engagement and outreach efforts with underserved communities.

For the purpose of this project, underserved communities are defined as areas of persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities.  

The objective of this research was to document efforts undertaken by SHSOs and other highway safety organizations to achieve effective engagement with underserved communities, including people of color, and to develop a noteworthy practices guide.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jul 2023 13:04:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2205312</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improve the Technical Capacity of Transportation Safety Professionals at all Levels of Government to Advance Safety Programs</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2093188</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study presents Naturalistic Driving Data Analysis for Curves and relies on the 2nd Strategic Highway Research Program Roadway Information Database to identify geometric factors in curve-related crashes. Support for Roadway Departure, Intersections, and Pedestrian/Bicyclist Safety Focus States and Cities. The study will provide technical assistance to designated states and cities based on fatalities (e.g., develop action plans) to address Focus areas. Partners include State and local transportation agencies. The study will providing technical assistance related to bikeway selection to improve safety.  It will also develop a resource to outline principles and benefits of offset right-turn lane for application at high-speed unsignalized intersections.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2023 13:53:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2093188</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Cataloging and Increasing Knowledge About Emergency Medical Services Responses</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2043467</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Emergency medical services (EMS) are a vital part of saving lives and mitigating vehicle-related crash injuries. This project will create a guide to EMS programs and models currently used and evidence of their effectiveness in safely providing EMS with a focus on motor vehicle crash (MVC) response. Similar to a State of Knowledge, this guide will synthesize what is known about safely and efficiently providing EMS after a crash.
More specifically, this project will (1) synthesize the literature on important factors in effective EMS related to MVCs, (2) develop a Program Guide describing effective programs to improve the safety of EMS operations for the public and for EMS providers when responding to an MVC, and (3) create a rating scale and protocol for including evidence of effectiveness and new programs in the Program Guide. The outcomes will be presented in a final report and corresponding summary note.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2022 18:25:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2043467</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Guide for Building, Maintaining, and Improving ARFF Programs</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2007983</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) services are crucial and required for the safe operation of Part 139 certificated airports. Many ARFF departments depend on passing knowledge and experience from leader to leader and/or firefighter to firefighter. While Federal Aviation Regulations and guidance focus on operating procedures, training requirements, and equipment requirements, U.S. airports could benefit from guidelines for developing or managing an ARFF department. These guidelines could include resources for leadership development, mentorship enhancement, training program development, etc.  

The objective of this research is to provide guidelines for U.S. airports to establish or maintain and improve existing operationally ready ARFF programs. The guidelines must, at a minimum, (1) address airport requirements for all ARFF indexes including index-specific guidance, (2) provide documentation resources for airport sponsors that meets or exceeds regulatory requirements, (3) provide a comprehensive review and database of current practices U.S. airports are using to meet regulatory requirements and maintain an operationally ready ARFF program, and (4) include an executive summary for airport executives and leadership, including an overview of ARFF regulatory requirements. As part of this objective, a complementary WebResource that provides an overview of ARFF response and recommended training resources for mutual aid providers must be developed. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:21:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2007983</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Incorporating Safe System Approach into the NCHRP 500 Series</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1957063</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NCHRP Report 500: Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan identifies proven, tried, and experimental safety strategies for each of the emphasis areas in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO’s) original 1998 Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state departments of transportation (DOTs) partnered through a pooled fund study to develop reliable estimates of the effectiveness of the safety improvements identified as strategies in the NCHRP Report 500 series.

Information presented in the NCHRP Report 500 series predates the Safe System approach, which is an internationally adopted framework for road safety management that works by building and reinforcing multiple layers of protection to prevent crashes from happening in the first place and minimize the harm caused to those involved when crashes do occur (UN Resolution). An increasing number of localities and states are moving toward a Safe System approach in road planning, design, and operation. To assist transportation owners and operators, FHWA developed a series of guidance documents and associated tools outlining application to the Safe System in the U.S. context (FHWA Brochure). To further support this process, there is an immediate need to provide updated, evidence-based countermeasure information for priority crash types addressed in the NCHRP Report 500 series to reflect the current knowledge base.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project was to develop a searchable electronic toolkit that builds on the NCHRP Report 500 series to align with Safe System principles and AASHTO’s current priorities, as well as reflect the most recent research and identify new innovations to help achieve the goal of zero deaths on the nation’s roads. Results from this project will (1) help transportation officials consider a broader list of countermeasures applicable to the majority of crash types; (2) improve the efficiency of countermeasure selection, link to state analysis tools, and enhance usability of the NCHRP Report 500 series; (3) provide access to the most current information; (4) advance implementation of the Safe System approach; and (5) increase practitioner awareness of the NCHRP Report 500 series.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2022 12:55:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1957063</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Practical Approaches to Quantifying Safe System Concepts</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953256</link>
      <description><![CDATA[To reverse the upward trend in traffic fatalities, many state departments of transportation (DOTs) are interested in moving toward a Safe System (SS) approach and are considering practical ways to mitigate conflicts and reduce the force of crashes on roadways and at intersections. In some cases, this has resulted in the development of policy changes in design and speed management. 
The SS approach applies to all types of roadways, both urban and rural. However, practitioners require methods and tools for quantifying, analyzing, and evaluating the safety benefits of different design and operational alternatives. For example, the FHWA report, 
A Safe System Based Framework and Analytical Methodology for Assessing Intersections  (FHWA-SA-21-008), provides a method for developing a Safe System Index (SSI) score and other SS-related metrics that quantify exposure, complexity, and severity associated with different crash types at intersections. This method also provides a basis for the assessment of a wide selection of intersections, including signalized urban intersections and rural uncontrolled intersections. 
While the SSI method can be applied at a project level and be incorporated into an Intersection Control Evaluation alternative screening process to provide another metric for safety, it requires several high-level assumptions to be included in the analysis. State DOTs may be reluctant to adopt these assumptions and utilize this method without some level of validation. Research is needed to review existing frameworks and methods, develop new methods or modify existing methods, validate the methods, and provide resources to state DOTs and local agencies for implementation.

The objective of this research is to develop or modify methods for quantifying the benefits of applying SS principles to various intersection designs.  
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2022 10:44:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1953256</guid>
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