Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force

• Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force - Report of Findings (PDF)
• Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force - UC ITS Research (PDF)

Background

Assembly Bill 2363 (Friedman, Chapter 650, Statutes of 2018) required the Secretary of Transportation to establish and convene the Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force, on or before, July 1, 2019, and prepare and submit a report of findings based on the efforts of this task force by January 1, 2020.

Following several Task Force meetings in 2019, the final report was delivered to the Legislature in January 2020.  As set forth in the legislation, the report included discussion on the following topics:

1. The existing process for establishing speed limits, including a detailed discussion on where speed limits are allowed to deviate from the 85^th percentile.
2. Existing policies on how to reduce speeds on local streets and roads.
3. A recommendation as to whether an alternative to the use of the 85^th percentile as a method for determining speed limits should be considered, and if so, what alternatives should be looked at.
4. Engineering recommendations on how to increase vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle safety.
5. Additional steps that can be taken to eliminate vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle fatalities on the road.
6. Existing reports and analyses on calculating the 85^th percentile at the local, state, national, and international levels.
7. Usage of the 85^th percentile in urban and rural settings.
8. How local bicycle and pedestrian plans affect the 85^th percentile.

When did the Task Force meet?

The Task Force held three meetings in 2019, with the final report delivered to the Legislature in January 2020.

 

Who were the Task Force participants?

AB 2363 required that the Task Force include representatives from the California State Transportation Agency, Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California Highway Patrol, Department of Public Health, the University of California and other academic institutions, local governments, bicycle safety organizations, statewide motorist service membership organizations, transportation advocacy organizations, and labor organizations.

The participants were chosen to meet the requirements of the statute, and in response to expressed interest from parties that represent the statute’s more general requirements of participation (local governments, advocacy groups, etc.).  The Task Force membership represented a balance of rural and urban; southern, central, and northern California; advocacy groups and engineering and traffic safety specialists. 

Because there was much interest in participating in the Task Force, and the number of Task Force members necessarily had to be limited, interested parties who were not chosen for the Task Force were invited to join an Advisory Group to exchange ideas and information with the Task Force. 

The final report includes a list of both Task Force and Advisory Group members.

Prior Workshop Materials

Workshop #1 (June 2019)

• Workshop #1 Agenda
• “Safer Speeds: Considerations for Speed Limits and Management” Presentation by Dr. Offer Grembek
• Strategic Highway Safety Plan Presentation by CHP Assistant Chief Chris Costigan
• Workshop #1 slide deck

Workshop #2 (August 2019)

• Workshop #2 Agenda
• Workshop #2 Presented Slides
• Framework for Workshop #2 Breakout Sessions

Workshop #3 (October 2019)

• Workshop #3 Agenda (PDF)
• Workshop #3 Presented Slides (PDF)
• Speed Enforcement Presentation (PDF) by Jeffrey King