By:  Keith Nichols, PE, Senior Transportation Engineer

HRTPO has recently released the draft version of Part I of the Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study – 2013 Update. 

Recognizing the tremendous impact that roadway safety has on both the transportation system and quality of life in Hampton Roads, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) has made it a priority to incorporate roadway safety into the transportation planning process.  This is largely done through the Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study, which provides a comprehensive analysis of highway safety throughout the region.      

This 2013 Update to the Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study will be completed in two parts.  Topics detailed in Part I include:

• Regional Safety Trends – Trends in traffic crashes in Hampton Roads are included, as is information related to injuries and fatalities resulting from traffic crashes.  Crash data for each Hampton Roads jurisdiction is highlighted, and comparisons between Hampton Roads and other metropolitan areas in Virginia are also included. 
• Crash Characteristics – This section looks at the characteristics of crashes in Hampton Roads.  Examples include crash types, driver actions, alcohol usage, speeding, and safety belt usage.
• Crash Locations – The locations of crashes, injuries, and fatalities on the Hampton Roads roadway system are examined.  Details are provided regarding how the crash data was collected and analyzed.  The number of crashes by year for each location is shown, as is the rate based on the severity of crashes and the exposure to crashes.
• Next Steps – The information that will be included in Part II of the Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study – 2013 Update is highlighted.  This includes efforts to improve roadway safety, general crash countermeasures, and safety improvements for identified locations.

The Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study draft report is available for public review and comment through September 18^th, 2013.  You may access the draft report by clicking on the following link:

Draft Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study – Part I Report

All interested parties are encouraged to review the draft report and send comments to Keith Nichols at knichols@hrtpo.org.