Every 13 minutes, someone on our roads is killed.  Research tells us that more than 90% of all crashes are the result of human error.  And, while attempts to improve driver behavior and attitudes behind the wheel will continue, it comes as no surprise that better designed roads have fewer fatalities.  Moreover, even the best drivers make mistakes behind the wheel, so the road itself should be “forgiving” enough that anticipated mistakes will not result in the death of a road user.

Presently, there is no nationwide system in place to systematically identify the specific road safety risks that exist across the country.  Few states -- let alone local communities – can identify high risk road segments, allocate scarce resources based on those risks, and implement known countermeasures to address the highest risks.  Although a safety-conscious consumer can readily access a wealth of information from AAA and others to find a safe “five star” car, there is no comparable information to allow this safety-conscious consumer to find five star roads or avoid dangerous roads.

In a nutshell, much more could be done to identify road hazards, educate motorists, encourage governing agencies to spend money more appropriately on roads and improvements, and implement known solutions to reduce these risks.