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FHWA highlights ITD peer-to-peer exchange
as part of strategic highway safety plan

ITD’s effort to save lives on state highways through a Peer-to-Peer Exchange program has been identified as a model initiative by the Federal Highway Administration.

FHWA provides an extensive analysis of ITD’s November 4, 2009, peer exchange on its Web site: “Updating a Strategic Highway Safety Plan: Learning from the Idaho Transportation Department.”

More than 100 professionals, committed to reducing traffic fatalities, assembled for the exchange organized jointly by ITD’s Office of Highway Operations and Safety and FHWA’s Office of Safety. Delegates at the Boise event represented engineering, education, enforcement and emergency response disciplines. They focused on an update of Idaho’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), which is scheduled for completion this summer.

ITD established an oversight team to update the safety plan. Leadership includes:

Deputy Director L. Scott Stokes
Brent Jennings, Highway Operations and Safety Engineer
Mary Hunter, Highway Safety Manager
FHWA’s Idaho Division Office Safety Program Manager
Director of the Idaho State Police
A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Region 10 representative
An Idaho Association of Counties representative, and
An Idaho Hospital Association representative

Officials from the Missouri Transportation Department and Washington State Department of Transportation presented overviews of their respective state plans at the Peer-to-Peer Exchange.

Stokes, who was ITD’s acting director at the time of the exchange, emphasized that highway safety and reducing traffic-related deaths and injuries is the department’s primary goal. He said Idaho drivers have improved their driving habits and are making smarter decisions, but continued progress still needs to be made.

Highway safety needs to be come a fundamental part of Idaho’s culture, he said.

The purpose of a peer exchange is to allow participants to learn from one another and incorporate advice, suggestions and best practices into their own activities, according to FHWA’s Web summary.

“Idaho followed an approach used in Nevada and Missouri by combining the learning opportunities of a peer exchange with a brainstorming session and SHSP update kickoff event for stakeholders.”

FHWA identified eight “lessons learned” that emerged from ITD’s exchange:

Engage State DOT leadership in the SHSP update process
Stakeholder participation is essential
Analyses of safety data provide the foundation for prioritizing safety issues and improvement efforts
A peer exchange creates an effective environment for "kick-starting" a SHSP update
The SHSP Update Peer Exchange is a means to an end, not the end itself
Preparation and planning efforts are reflected in the overall success of the peer event
Recruit capable group leaders and facilitators to assist working groups
A one-day meeting does not provide enough time to complete data analysis, strategic planning, or development of action plans

To read FHWA’s complete summary of the ITD Peer-to-Peer Exchange Program, please visit: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/p2p/idaho/