Background:
Every year in the United States, over 18,000 people are killed and many more are severely injured in roadway departure crashes. Globally, over 3,500 people die every day on the roads, which amounts to nearly 1.3 million preventable deaths and an estimated 50 million injuries each year. Recognizing the importance of the problem and the need to act, governments from around the world declared unanimously – through UN General Assembly Resolution 74/299 – proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. A problem of this magnitude must be tackled on multiple fronts.  Many countries have adopted a goal of Zero fatal and severe injury crashes and have embraced the Safe System Approach (SSA) as the way to get there. The SSA is holistic approach that considers 5 elements of a safe transportation system – safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speed, safe roads, and post-crash care. Reducing roadway departures and enhancing roadside safety are integral elements to any such plans. 

The Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) Roadside Safety Design (AKD20) standing committee is concerned with the development and evaluation of forgiving highway roadsides through countermeasures, safety hardware, and features and practices that will reduce the number and severity of roadway departure crashes and optimize the safety benefit to the traveling public.

To provide a forum for professionals from across the globe to share and discuss efforts to reduce roadway departures, the AKD20 committee held the 1^st International Roadside Safety Conference (IRSC) and Peer Exchange in 2017 that had 231 participants from 25 countries. The committee is now actively planning for the 2^nd International Roadside Safety Conference (IRSC) and Peer Exchange.

Objectives:
The primary objective for the International Roadside Safety Conference (IRSC) and Peer Exchange is to reduce deaths and serious injuries associated with roadway departure crashes.  The IRSC would contribute to this objective by:

1           1.) peer exchange and improved dissemination of information within the international roadside safety community;

2           2.) increased collaboration with international roadside safety experts, researchers, government agencies, and engineering consultants; and

3                3.)  a more rapid implementation of new technologies, best practices, and products from around the world.

Key focus areas may include:

•                    - Safe System Approaches to reduce Roadway Departures

•                    - Treatments to help drivers stay in their lane

o    Roadway treatments to help reduce human mistakes

§  Improved visibility and delineation

§  Friction treatments

§  Rumble strips

§  Cost-effective safety improvements for low-volume roads

o    Vehicle technologies to assist drivers with staying in their lanes

o    User behavioral efforts to reduce roadway departures

•                     -Treatments to reduce the potential for crashes if drivers do leave their lane

o    Roadside geometric features

§  Shoulders

§  Clear Zones

§  Slopes

§  Median Design

§  Drainage features (ditches, culverts, curbs)

§  Pavement edges

§  Obstacles – trees, utility poles, signs

•                     - Treatments to minimize severity of crashes

o    Advances in barrier design and selection criteria

o    Computer simulation, dynamic component testing, and full-scale crash testing

o    In-service performance evaluations

o    Energy-absorbing technologies

o    Aesthetic safety treatments and practices

o    Maintenance of existing roadside safety infrastructure

•                     - Work-zone and temporary traffic control safety

•                     - Vulnerable user safety – pedestrians, bicyclists, & motorcyclists

•                    - Smart/Virtual Infrastructure and Safety Systems

Scope of Work:
State DOT Pooled Fund participants, researchers, FHWA, and roadside safety experts will appoint a committee consisting of U.S. and International representatives to guide the planning of a 2- or 3-day International Roadside Safety Conference (IRSC) and Peer Exchange. The conference will provide a forum to (1) explore current roadside safety problems and practices, both in the United States and abroad, (2) provide a peer exchange to discuss and disseminate research related to a full range of issues, including administration, planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance, and (3) provide exhibition space for manufacturers and private industry to showcase new technologies and/or conduct live demonstrations.

Both papers and/or presentations will be accepted. If possible, papers may be published in advance of the conference. However, all presentations and papers will be made available to participants as well as to others following the event through a TRB Circular or Journal as appropriate.

Specific conference planning activities would include:
• A kick-off meeting of the conference committee and follow-on meetings (in-person and/or web-based)
• Development of a conference theme and key areas of interest
• Issuance of a Call for Presentations and/or Papers
• Production of a conference announcement and ongoing communications/marketing to advertise event
• Creation of a conference web page with general event and registration information
• Archive of presentations on a conference website
• Publication of papers in conference proceedings and a refereed journal
• Development of both preliminary and final conference agendas with posting on conference web page
• Development of a prospectus to attract and register exhibitors to conference and manage all logistics
• Selection of U.S. location and hotel/conference center to accommodate up to 300 participants.
Optional activities may include:
• Planning for local or regional field trips for conference delegates to discuss and review current or proven innovative road/roadside safety practices and policies ready for implementation around the globe

Status:
Based on the success of the 1^st IRSC and Peer Exchange in 2017, the TRB Roadside Safety Design committee plans to hold an IRSC every 5 years.  While the 2^nd IRSC was delayed due to a global pandemic, the plan is to hold it in 2024. Anticipated costs include facility deposits and fees, expenses for the exploration of candidate sites, labor and project team travel, final site selection and contracting, web site development and maintenance, event marketing, staff expenses for onsite conference oversight and operations, keynote and/or invited speaker fees, preparing and publishing circulars and/or other documents, etc. Other expenses may include contract labor, materials, and shipping to prepare and distribute publications (i.e., brochures, pamphlets, posters, technical presentations/papers).

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will serve as the lead state for the execution of this Pooled Fund project. FDOT, along with the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) [see below], will work with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to perform the required duties to plan and organize the IRSC and Peer Exchange event. At the request of the TAC, the TRB will facilitate all administrative duties associated with the project and will invoice the FDOT for reimbursement up to the amount available in the Transportation Pooled Fund.