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Expanding the Oregon Motor Carrier Safety Action Plan: Best Return on Investment

Given that state funds are limited, this research project seeks to develop an implementation methodology that includes economic cost/benefit analyses and site-specific identification model to expand the program to viable corridors statewide. This will be accomplished by utilizing the results and data from the pilot program as a basis. Focusing on the leading causes of truck crashes from previous and current Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) research studies with increased enforcement, along with education outreach, will provide all users of the Oregon Roadway System a safer roadway environment and more efficient use of enforcement efforts. To develop both the methodology for the cost/benefit analysis and the budget model, the research objects are as follows: (1) Review and summarize what other states are doing in regard to truck at-fault crashes and efforts to reduce these crashes. The review will also include safety policies and initiatives undertaken by local, state, and national government agencies. (2) Literature review to summarize the different techniques for estimating the economic cost/benefit model developed and implemented by local, state, and national government agencies. This will include truck-specific safety applications, as well as other applications in which such analyses or models have been applied. (3)This will include data from the aforementioned Oregon Motor Carrier Safety Action Plan (OMCSAP) pilot program and historical crash data. Additional datasets, both public and private, may be considered. (4) Develop a marginal enforcement cost vs. marginal benefit (from reduced at-fault accidents) site scoring model using the empirical data collected in the previous objective. The proposed model be developed and estimated utilizing data from the pilot program and then applied to other locations throughout the state. This will allow for ranking of locations based on their cost/benefit ratio and viability. (5) Apply the developed model to identify candidate corridor locations. This will be accompanied by a spatial analysis, in which viable corridor locations can be identified with a high level of confidence. (6) Gather opinions from participating law enforcement agencies with regard to the OMCSAP. The survey instrument will be designed to collect information on their willingness to participate in OMCSAP. In addition, the research team will attempt to survey other state DOTs to determine their willingness to adopt and implement such a program (7) Develop an implementation plan for viable locations through a marginal cost/benefit analysis. (8) Determine optimal cost allocation for the continuation of the OMSCAP program.