The regional Safety Program is dedicated to reducing serious injuries and fatalities on our region's roadways by taking a proactive, data-informed approach to transportation safety. This effort supports the broader goals of creating a safer and accessible transportation system for all who travel throughout the region, whether by car, bicycle, on foot, mobility device, or transit. By aligning local initiatives with state and national safety priorities, the program helps ensure a consistent focus on preventing severe roadway crashes.

 

Measuring Performance

Our Safety Program tracks the number of people killed or seriously injured in roadway crashes as its primary performance indicator (see Regional Crash Dashboard). Keeping a close watch on these trends over time helps us pinpoint where the greatest risks lie, measure progress toward local and state safety goals, and steer the selection of projects and strategies that can make the most meaningful difference. Alongside long-range initiatives, we also pursue more flexible, iterative projects that address immediate needs and generate insights to shape future planning.

 

Virginia’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP)

Virginia’s SHSP serves as a statewide framework to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries, emphasizing continuous collaboration across agencies and communities. It identifies key areas like speeding, impaired driving, intersections, roadway departures, and vulnerable road users. Our regional program aligns closely with this plan to ensure efforts here contribute to the broader vision of eliminating fatal and serious crashes across the Commonwealth.

 

Safe Systems Approach

The Safe Systems approach guides this work by accepting that people will inevitably make mistakes and centering efforts on designing a transportation system that reduces the chances those mistakes result in death or serious injury. This means managing vehicle speeds, improving roadway design, promoting safer vehicles, supporting alert and sober road users, and ensuring rapid, effective post-crash care.

By weaving together strategies across engineering, education, enforcement, emergency response, and community engagement, we can build a safer environment that better protects everyone, no matter how they travel.