Cheyenne Transportation Safety Management Plan
Summary of Project
The Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization completed the first-ever CarFit event in Wyoming. CarFit is an educational program created by the American Society on Aging, and developed in collaboration with AARP, AAA, and the American Occupational Therapy Association. The goals of the community-based program are three-fold:
- Help older drivers improve the “fit” of their vehicles for safety and comfort;
- Promote conversations among older adults and families about driving safety and the continued need for mobility options to keep people participating in the life of their communities; and
- Link adults with relevant, local resources that can help ensure they drive safely longer.
The event was conducted in partnership with the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center’s June 9, 2012 Senior Health Fair at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, WY. CarFit uses a trained team of volunteers, including occupational therapists. The day prior to the event, training was held to prepare volunteers. A total of 16 volunteers were trained, of which 13 trained as Event Coordinators who now have the skills to lead a CarFit event in their own community in the future. Trainees from 5 states participated: Wyoming, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, and Iowa. Four of the trainees were Occupational Therapists, who play an important role in each CarFit event.
Forty drivers participated in the Car Fit event. While CarFit is designed to assist older drivers, anyone can participate and nearly everyone learns something new about how to make sure their vehicle fits them safely. Many of the participants received one or more recommendations about how their vehicle could be adjusted to maximize visibility and to ensure safety features are used properly. Participants were also provided information on safe driving courses and other local resources upon completion of the CarFit checkup. More information on CarFit is available at www.car-fit.org
- Distracted Driving Campaign 2011
How Distracted are You in the Car?
Safe Driving is Serious Business Poster
Know Your Distracted Driving Laws
Take Action Against Distraction
Transportation Safety Management Plan
The Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has taken a leadership role as one of the first MPOs in the country to develop a regional Transportation Safety Management Plan. To develop the plan, the MPO organized regional safety stakeholders and transportation professionals to engage in a discussion focused on developing solutions to reduce roadway crashes in the region. The Cheyenne MPO identified emphasis areas based on fatal and injury crash factors in the region where concentrated efforts can make effective positive impacts.
Transportation Safety Advisory Committee Members
- Cheyenne MPO
- Cheyenne Planning and Development Department
- City Engineer’s Office
- Cheyenne Police Department
- Cheyenne Fire Department
- Cheyenne Planning Department
- City/County Health Department
- Laramie County Sheriff’s Department
- Laramie County Planning Department
- Laramie County Public Works Department
- Laramie County Senior Services
- Laramie County School District #1
- Wyoming DOT – Highway Safety Department
- Wyoming DOT – Driver Services Division
- Wyoming Highway Patrol
EMPHASIS AREAS
The following emphasis areas were selected for focus in the Transportation Safety Management Plan based on significant numbers of fatal and injury crashes involving these factors. Efforts undertaken by the Cheyenne Transportation Safety Initiative seek to reduce serious crashes in involving these factors.
SAFETY BELTS
Wearing a safety belt is the single Several successful efforts have been undertaken in this area, including the “Battle of the Belts” targeting increased safety belt use by high school students and a legislative summit highlighting the benefits of a primary safety belt law in Wyoming.
- Cheyenne Battle of the Belts 2010 Summary
- Cheyenne Law Enforcement Occupant Protection Summary
- Legislative Summit 2010 Presentation
- Estimated Medical Cost Savings in Wyoming by Implementing A Primary Seat Belt Law, January 2010
- Safety Belt Links/Resources
DISTRACTED DRIVING
Distracted driving is an increasing concern, particularly as more people rely on electronic devices in their daily life. In Cheyenne in 2008, 181 crashes involved some form of distraction.
- Cheyenne Code on cell phone prohibition (Effective October 1, 2009)
- Wyoming Statute prohibiting texting while driving (Effective July 1, 2010)
- Official U.S. Government Website for Distracted Driving
- Teens and Distracted Driving, Pew Research Center
IMPAIRED DRIVING
Driving while under the influence of alcohol is a major problem in Wyoming. From 2004 to 2008 in Cheyenne, 9 people were killed and 389 were injured in crashes involving alcohol.
- Legislative Summit 2010 Presentation
- Fact sheet on alternative transportation to reduce impaired driving
- NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 2008 – Alcohol
YOUNG DRIVERS
In Cheyenne, young drivers are involved in more than one third of all fatal and injury crashes. It is widely known that novice drivers do not have sufficient experience to handle the complex task of driving when they are first licensed. However, t he opportunity exists for young drivers to become the standard for society of good driving behavior.
INTERSECTIONS
From 2004 to 2008, 13 fatal crashes and nearly 1,400 injury crashes occurred at intersections in Cheyenne. Many of these crashes also involved behavioral factors. The City and MPO are working to both improve driver behavior and make safety improvements at intersections. In 2009 the MPO conducted an engineering study of Cheyenne intersections with the largest numbers of crashes to determine potential improvements that can be made to improve safety.
OLDER DRIVERS
In Cheyenne from 2004 to 2008, drivers over age 65 were involved in 4 fatal crashes and 330 injury crashes. The Cheyenne safety initiative seeks to help older drivers stay safe and mobile for as long as possible.
- Legislative Summit 2010 Presentation
- Fact sheet about Medical Advisory Boards
- NHTSA fact sheet on older drivers
RESOURCES
Cheyenne
State
- National Traffic Safety Highway Administration
- Transportation Safety Planning Working Group
- Transportation Planner’s Safety Desk Reference
- Wyoming DOT Traffic Safety Data
Awards
The Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization was recently honored with a 2010 Transportation Planning Excellence Award for its Transportation Safety Planning and Implementation initiatives. The Transportation Planning Excellence Awards Program, a biennial awards program, developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration ( FTA) and co-sponsored by the American Planning Association, provides a unique opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding transportation planning practice performed by planners and decision makers in communities across the country. Over 80 projects were nominated for this year’s Excellence Awards. An independent, expert panel of judges reviewed each nomination, and identified 11 Award Winning projects that went well beyond standard practice to demonstrate an exceptional level of innovation and creativity.
In 2008, the Cheyenne MPO was honored with a National Award for Innovative Practice in Metropolitan Transportation Planning by the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) for its Transportation Safety Management Plan,