At Sain Associates, we continually work with municipalities and local agencies to implement transportation safety initiatives, programs, and strategies. While prioritizing safety is not a challenge, navigating the appropriate regulations and terminology can be. Today’s blog dives into some of the most common acronyms and newer initiatives you might hear related to the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), such as the Safe System Approach, SS4A, and the E’s of safety.
Safe System Approach (SSA)
The Safe System Approach is a holistic and proactive method to traffic safety that aims to prevent death and serious injuries on our roadways. Unlike the traditional approach, which often focuses on reducing the total number of crashes after they occur, the Safe System Approach emphasizes minimizing fatal and serious injury crashes through proactive methods.
Key principles include:
- Humans Make Mistakes: Acknowledging that road users are bound to make mistakes and designing roads to be more forgiving when those mistakes happen.
- Humans are Vulnerable: Recognizing that the human body has limits in withstanding crash forces and ensuring the system respects those limits.
- Responsibility is Shared: Making sure all parts of the system work together to ensure safety.
- Safety is Proactive: Anticipating and preventing unsafe conditions before crashes happen.
- Redundancy is Crucial: Incorporating multiple layers of protection to prevent death and serious injuries.
SS4A (Safe Streets and Roads for All)
SS4A is a discretionary and comprehensive grant program aimed at improving roadway safety for all road users. Funded by the USDOT, this program provides grants for regional, local, and Tribal initiatives to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The program offers planning and demonstration grants, as well as funding opportunities for infrastructure improvements through fiscal year 2026. Sain Associates is currently assisting various cities and counties with SS4A projects, plans, and demonstration activities.
The E’s of Transportation Safety
The E’s of Transportation Safety have been used longer than other noted initiatives. They generally define the broad stakeholder partners who care about safety and are responsible for making the roads safe for all users. Their role is to provide perspective to the project. The main E’s represent a comprehensive framework to improve road safety through a multidisciplinary approach. The most commonly used E’s stand for:
- Education: Educating the public about safe driving, walking, and cycling practices. This includes public awareness campaigns, school programs, and community outreach.
- Emergency Response: Ensuring timely and effective response to crashes and incidents to minimize the impact of injuries. This includes well-trained emergency medical services and coordinated response plans.
- Enforcement: Implementing and enforcing traffic laws to ensure compliance and deter unsafe behaviors. This includes speed enforcement, seat belt use, and impaired driving checks.
- Engineering: Designing and maintaining roads, intersections, and other infrastructure to enhance safety. This includes designing and implementing roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, and other safety countermeasures.
With each project and community, the E’s have been adapted to local needs and represent different advocates from various safety groups. Additional examples of E’s have included Encouragement, Equity, Evaluation, Everyone, etc.
Whether it’s through holistic approaches like the Safe System Approach, specific initiatives like SS4A, or the strategies of the E’s, the goal is always the same – to create a safer transportation environment for everyone. If you have any questions about the new safety initiatives, please contact us to learn more about the upcoming funding opportunities.