SHSP2025-2029

MISSION/VISION/GOAL

PREFACE: THIS SHSP, SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY SAFETY, SERVES AS THE GUIDING DOCUMENT TO COORDINATE THE HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES OF STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL AGENCIES, IN ADDITION TO ALL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADVOCATES IN KENTUCKY.

MISSION: TO PROVIDE A SAFE, EFFICIENT, ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT DELIVERS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND ENHANCES THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN KENTUCKY.

VISION: THROUGH THE COORDINATED AND BOLD EFFORTS OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS, IMPROVE HIGHWAY SAFETY IN KENTUCKY SUCH THAT THOSE TRAVELLING ON ROADS IN THE COMMONWEALTH – EVERY PERSON, EVERY TRIP - ARRIVE AT THEIR DESTINATION UNHARMED.

GOAL: THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SHSP, PREVENT SERIOUS CRASHES ON KENTUCKY’S HIGHWAYS SUCH THAT THE ANNUAL NUMBER OF DEATHS FALLS AT OR BELOW 500 BY THE YEAR 2029. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS ZERO DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES FROM CRASHES

Emphasis Areas

Selection

Focus and opportunity guided the selection of the SHSP emphasis areas to improve safety for all users. A comprehensive analysis of crash data was conducted to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for improvement. Crash analysis included fatalities, serious injuries, fatal and serious injury rates, location of crashes, mode of travel, roadway features, behavioral factors, driver characteristics, vehicle types, and non-motorized roadway users. Within this analysis, Kentucky’s data for these categories were compared to bordering states and the national average to situate Kentucky’s safety performance.

Aggressive Driving

Aggressive driving is generally defined as actions by drivers that result in adverse safety effects for themselves and other drivers and contribute to crashes. Aggressive Driving includes:

• Speeding (In any crash where speed is a factor, the severity is likely higher) – speeding, especially excessive speeding has to be eliminated to reduce crash severity
• Failure to yield right of way
• Following too closely
• Disregarding traffic control (e.g. stop signs, traffic signals/red light running) – T-bone intersection crashes are especially severe
• Weaving in traffic

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is defined by NHTSA as “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system—anything that takes your attention away from the task of safer driving.” The three main forms of distracted driving involve drivers removing:

• Their eyes from the road
• Their hands from the wheel
• Their minds from the task of driving

Impaired Driving

Impaired Driving is defined as operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol impairment is measured by blood alcohol concentration (BAC). As the BAC level goes up in the human body, it produces effects such as loss of judgment, altered mood, reduced muscle control and deteriorating reaction times. These result in a decline in visual functions and multitasking, reduced concentration, impaired perception, and an inability to respond quickly to emergencies. In Kentucky, the per se BAC level of impairment is 0.08.

Occupant Protection

Occupant protection includes any protective device, such as a seat belt, child safety seat, or booster seat, which prevents death and/or injury in motor vehicle crashes. Seat belts reduce the risk of a fatal injury to front seat passengers by an estimated 45 percent. The simplest thing – taking a second to buckle in – can prevent so many tragedies on Kentucky highways. This simple choice, whether one agrees with the law or not, is the best protection against death and serious injuries that would otherwise keep one from their family and future.

Roadway Departure

Roadway departure is defined as a crash that occurs after a vehicle crosses an edge line or a center line or otherwise leaves the traveled way. Roadway departure often involves collisions with other moving or stationary vehicles, fixed hazardous objects, such as trees or utility poles, or vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists.

Vulnerable Road Users

This 2025 SHSP update continues Vulnerable Road Users as an emphasis area, however for this update motorcyclists have been split off into a new emphasis area. Vulnerable Road Users are now defined as all non-motorized roadway users, including pedestrians and bicyclists. These roadway users are grouped for the fact that all are at a significantly heightened risk to severe injury or fatality in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle.

Motorcyclists

Operating a motorcycle is one of the most dangerous forms of transportation on Kentucky roadways. Motorcycles do not offer the same protections that a passenger vehicle does, leaving an operator virtually defenseless in the event of a crash. In addition, motorcycles are smaller than passenger vehicles making them less visible and more vulnerable when colliding with larger, heavier vehicles. From 2019-2023, 32 percent of crashes involving a motorcycle resulted in fatality or serious injury compared to just 3 percent of all crashes statewide.

Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV)

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) defines a commercial motor vehicle as any motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport property or passengers when the vehicle:

• Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,001 pounds or more
• Is single or a combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more
• Is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation; or more than 15 passengers if not receiving compensation for the transportation.
• Any size vehicle that transports hazardous materials that require federal placarding

Older Drivers

Older drivers are defined as motor vehicle operators aged 65 and up. The average age of Kentucky’s population is increasing, and as such the share of older drivers on Kentucky roadways is also going up. With the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation entering retirement years, Kentucky’s population pyramid now resembles more a pillar, with nearly equal numbers of people in older groups as in middle aged and younger groups. There are unique safety challenges involved with older drivers including changes in vision, physical fitness, and reflexes.