2022-2026 New Hampshire Strategic Highway Safety Plan Driving Toward Zero S T N E T N O C F O E L B A T Photo Credit: NH Travel and Tourism NEW HAMPSHIRE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN 2022 Table of Contents Coalition Members ....................................................................................iv Acronyms ...................................................................................................v Message from the Commissioner .............................................................1 The Road Ahead ........................................................................................2 Vision...................................................................................................2 Mission ................................................................................................2 Goal .....................................................................................................2 Welcome to New Hampshire ....................................................................3 Collaboration with Other Safety Plans and Programs .....................3 Where We’ve Traveled ..............................................................................4 SHSP Update Process .................................................................................11 Statewide Workshops ........................................................................11 Working Groups .................................................................................11 Critical Emphasis Areas .............................................................................13 New in 2022 ........................................................................................14 Roadmap for Reading the Plan .........................................................14 Intersections ..............................................................................................15 S Roadway Departure ..................................................................................19 T N E Distracted Driving .....................................................................................25 T N O Impaired Driving .......................................................................................29 C F Speed and Aggressive Driving ..................................................................33 O E Vehicle Occupant Protection ....................................................................37 L B A Older Drivers ..............................................................................................41 T Teen Traffic Safety .....................................................................................47 Vulnerable Roadway Users – Motorized ..................................................51 Vulnerable Roadway Users – Non-Motorized .........................................55 Supporting the Journey ............................................................................62 Data and Technology .........................................................................62 Equity ..................................................................................................62 Getting Underway .....................................................................................62 Implementation ..................................................................................62 Evaluation ...........................................................................................62 Appendix A: Glossary ................................................................................63 Appendix B: CEA Action Plans ..................................................................64 Intersections Action Plan ...................................................................65 Roadway Departure Action Plan .......................................................67 Intersections and Roadway Departure Shared Action Plan .............69 Distracted Driving Action Plan ..........................................................71 Impaired Driving Action Plan ............................................................73 Speed and Aggressive Driving Action Plan .......................................75 Vehicle Occupant Protection Action Plan .........................................77 Older Drivers Action Plan...................................................................79 Teen Traffic Safety Action Plan ..........................................................83 Vulnerable Roadway Users – Motorized Action Plan .......................85 Vulnerable Roadway Users – Non-Motorized Action Plan ..............87 NEW HAMPSHIRE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN 2022 AAA New Hampshire American Motorcyclist Association American Traffic Safety Services Association New England Chapter 3M Driving Toward CHaD Injury Prevention Center City of Claremont Department of Public Works City of Nashua Zero Coalition Community Alliance for Teen Safety Federal Highway Administration Town of Gilford Department of Public Works Town of Greenland Police Department Members Lakes Region Planning Commission Town of Lee Police Department McFarland Johnson Inc. NH Auto Dealers Association NH Legal Assistance New Hampshire Alliance for Healthy Aging S R E New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police B M E New Hampshire Auto Dealers Association M N New Hampshire Commission on Aging O TI New Hampshire Department of Safety LI A O New Hampshire Department of Health and Human C Services New Hampshire Department of Transportation New Hampshire Division of Fire Standards and Training New Hampshire Good Roads Association New Hampshire Medical Society New Hampshire Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization New Hampshire State Commission on Aging North Country Council Quantum Construction Consultants, LLC Rockingham Planning Commission Southern NH Planning Commission Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Strafford Regional Planning Commission University of New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. iv NEW HAMPSHIRE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN 2022 Acronyms 4 Es Education, Enforcement, Engineering, MREP Motorcycle Rider Education Program and Emergency Services AASHTO American Association of State Highway MUTCD Manual on Uniform Traffic and Transportation Officials Control Devices BEAS Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services NACTO National Association of City Transportation Officials BWANH Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire NHDETA New Hampshire Driver Education Teachers Association CDP census designated place NHDMV New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles CEA Critical Emphasis Area NHDOS New Hampshire Department of Safety CHaD IPC Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Injury NHDOT New Hampshire Department Prevention Center of Transportation CSAC Complete Streets Advisory Committee NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration S M DHHS IPP Department of Health and Human NNEPC Northern New England Poison Center Y N Services – Injury Prevention Program O R C A DRE drug recognition expert NSC National Safety Council EMS emergency medical services OHRV Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle FARS Fatality Analysis Reporting System OHS Office of Highway Safety FAST Act Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act PSA Public Service Announcement FHWA Federal Highway Administration RCC Regional Coordination Councils FRA Federal Railroad Administration RPC Regional Planning Commission FTA Federal Transit Administration SCC State Coordination Council GDL Graduated Driver Licensing SHSP Strategic Highway Safety Plan HRRR High Risk Rural Road STIP Statewide Transportation Improvement Program HSIP Highway Safety Improvement Program TAP Transportation Alternatives Program HSP Highway Safety Plan TDM Transportation Demand Management LTAP Local Transportation Assistance Program TIM Traffic Incident Management LTS level of traffic stress UNH University of New Hampshire mph miles per hour USDOT United States Department of Transportation MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization VMT vehicle miles traveled v Message from the Commissioner August 1, 2022 Office of the DOT Commissioner New Hampshire Department of Transportation 7 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305 Dear Citizens of New Hampshire, The 2022 New Hampshire Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) defines the State’s approach to making our roads safer for all users. The National Roadway Safety Strategy challenges us all to make a meaningful difference R by recognizing that highway safety is a shared responsibility. Toward this objective, a diverse group of safety E N O stakeholders, from various organizations and backgrounds across the State, met over several months to collaborate SI on the development of this Plan. The stakeholders used historical data to evaluate crash trends, identify the highest S MI priorities, and ultimately to set goals and establish strategies to reduce fatalities and serious injuries for all users of M O New Hampshire’s highways. The many partner agencies—from the Federal, State, and local level—will use this SHSP C E as a roadmap to cooperate in the mission of reducing crashes on New Hampshire’s roads. H M T The first New Hampshire SHSP was created 14 years ago. Although annual traffic fatalities have generally O declined since the first SHSP, traffic fatality trends have remained stubbornly flat in recent years. This SHSP, which R F is the fourth update, builds on the success of the previous plans, rethinks traditional approaches to safety, and E G continues the vision of “Zero Deaths” on New Hampshire roadways, which understands that roadway deaths are A SS unacceptable and preventable. Citizens of New Hampshire must come together and remain vigilant in supporting E M the implementation of the SHSP strategies and countermeasures if we are to reestablish the trend of declining fatal and serious injury crashes. Consequently, the stakeholders who contributed to this plan will continue to meet periodically to review the latest crash information, discuss current trends, and propose solutions. Additionally, after the 2022 SHSP was initiated, the U.S. DOT adopted a Safe System approach as the guiding paradigm to address roadway safety. The Stakeholder group will also be discussing how the current 2022 SHSP aligns with the Safe System approach. Ultimately, it is up to you—the citizens of New Hampshire—to affect true change. Professionals from agencies and organizations will work together to implement this Plan, but it is up to you to take responsibility for traveling safely on New Hampshire roads. Every road user—driver, passenger, bicyclist, or pedestrian—plays a role. It takes all of us to make an impact and reach our ultimate goal of zero roadway deaths. Join us in supporting and implementing the 2022 New Hampshire SHSP, and let’s all work together to Drive Toward Zero. DOT Commissioner Victoria Sheehan 1 The Road Ahead New Hampshire is a Toward Zero Deaths State and will work to eliminate crashes, and the resulting fatalities and serious injuries, on our roadways. The vision outlines the overarching, long-term approach and the mission details the safety stakeholders’ commitment to implementing the SHSP. The goal sets the stage for the State’s timeline. Vision Through a comprehensive, systematic approach we will use data-driven methods to select and implement appropriate countermeasures that will reduce crashes on all New Hampshire roads. D A E H A Mission D A O R Foster and sustain collaboration among HE T private and public stakeholders, in the implementation of education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical services (EMS) strategies, to create a safety culture where one death on a New Hampshire roadway is too many. Goal Reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2035, working toward 0 by 2050. 2 Photo Credit: NH Travel and Tourism NEW HAMPSHIRE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN 2022 Welcome to New Hampshire Roadway safety plays a critical role in the health and wellbeing of the citizens of New Hampshire, as well as supporting the commerce and tourism sectors of the State’s economy. Safe travel on our roadways should not be taken for granted. It’s a continuous journey to do more and do better in the battle against fatal and serious injury crashes on our roadways. To achieve the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries, there must be a concerted joint effort of safety policies and practices among the diverse stakeholders. The following discusses how the SHSP fits into the larger overall integrated safety plan for New Hampshire. Collaboration with Other Safety Plans and Programs The New Hampshire SHSP (herein referred to as the Plan) is part of the State’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which is a Federal-aid program that uses funds to implement strategies and countermeasures that RE reduce fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. SHI Each State receives HSIP funding and develops a report P M for how the money will be used on infrastructure- A H related projects that align with the SHSP’s Critical W Emphasis Areas (CEAs). The HSIP and its constituent E N projects are included in the Statewide Transportation O T Improvement Program (STIP) and coordinate with E M the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s O C (NHTSA’s) Highway Safety Plan (HSP), which documents L E New Hampshire’s safety program and progress toward W performance targets. The Plan works in collaboration with the HSP which enforces roadway safety standards, investigates safety violations, and conducts research on driver behavior and traffic safety. The Plan also connects with broader safety plans, including the NH Long Range Transportation Plan, Metropolitan Transportation plans, and with regional comprehensive master plans, and transit plans. The 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act outlined requirements for States to develop a data-driven SHSP. One requirement of the FAST Act is that the 2022 Plan must include consultation with additional stakeholders and evaluation of added safety factors. For New Hampshire, this means updating the Plan to include proactive strategies backed by data and to engage more stakeholders in the conversation to address their unique safety concerns. For this update, New Hampshire engaged stakeholders from Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs) to Division of Motor Vehicles (NHDMV) representatives. While the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) stewards the development of the Plan, its success relies on the ongoing collaboration and commitment of the many partners involved in the creation and implementation of the Plan. 3 NEW HAMPSHIRE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN 2022 Where We’ve Traveled New Hampshire’s goal is to reduce the number of highway fatalities and serious injuries by half by 2035, working toward zero by 2050. Under the 2017 Plan, New Hampshire made progress in reducing the number of serious injuries. Based on crash, vehicle, and person- level data obtained from the NHDMV for non-fatal crashes and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from NHTSA for fatalities, the 5-year rolling averages for serious injuries have decreased from 499.8 in 2016 to 465.4 in 2020. Figure 1 also shows fatalities have increased slightly since 2016, from 117.6 to 118.0. A close look at the data suggests that within these historical trends, there are several key factors that illustrate where New Hampshire can effectively address Figure 1. 5-Year Serious Injury & Fatality Trend. safety for all users. New Hampshire is a growing, mostly rural State with natural resources that attract visitors from across the State and beyond. As demonstrated in figure 2 and figure 3, rural roads have accounted for D the majority of fatalities on our roads since 2015, but E L E the gap between rural and urban-classified fatalities V A has been slowly closing over time.1 These trends are also R T reflected in daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on the E V State’s roads as the share of urban VMT has grown since E’ W the 2017 update. E R E H W Figure 2. Distribution of Annual Fatalities by Context.2 1 Urban and rural definitions are based on NHTSA’s FARS data and the US Census Bureau. Urban is classified as all territories with 2,500 or more residents outside of an urbanized area. A Figure 3. Distribution of Statewide VMT rural classification is assigned to any incorporated place or – 3-Year Averages.3 census designated place (CDP) with fewer than 2,500 residents and is located outside of an urbanized area. 2 FHWA, Table FI-20 3 FHWA, Table VM-2 4 NEW HAMPSHIRE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN 2022 A disproportionate number of fatalities occurred on principal arterials and local roads in New Hampshire (figure 4 and figure 5), in both urban and rural contexts. These facilities represent some of the most heavily traveled roads in the State and the most local, underscoring the importance of safety across all types of roadways. D E L E V A R T E V E’ Figure 4. Distribution of Urban VMT and Fatalities by Functional Classification – 5-Year Average (2015-2019).4 W E R E H W Figure 5. Distribution of Rural VMT and Fatalities by Functional Classification – 5-Year Average (2015-2019).4 4 Tables VM-2 and FI-20 5