Roadway
The driving environment has changed dramatically since most mature adults
became drivers. Roadways today are much more congested and complex than they
were when they learned to drive. Roadway improvements can make the task of
negotiating today's roads and highways not only easier, but safer for everyone.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) State Traffic Engineering and
Operations Office handles issues related to mature drivers, traffic studies,
intersection operations, signing, pavement marking, signals and traffic
engineering standards for the State Highway System. If you have traffic related
concerns on a state maintained road, you can locate a District Traffic Operations Engineer for your county
by accessing this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Contacts-District.shtm
For concerns on city or county-maintained roads you can find the appropriate
Traffic Engineering office by accessing these links:
http://www.myflorida.com/cities
or
http://www.myflorida.com/counties
The Florida Department of Transportation began implementing roadway improvements in 1991 through routine maintenance activities responding to revised design standards based on the
Federal Highway Administration's
Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians that can be
accessed at this link:
http://www.tfhrc.gov/humanfac/01103/coverfront.htm
Providing advanced notification reduces last-minute maneuvers.
 These roadway improvements were installed on the Florida State Highway System and are now part of the state's standards.
These improvements fall under the following areas:
- Increasing visibility (6-inch wide pavement markings, lighting,
reflective pavement markers, and larger lettering on guide signs)
- Improving pedestrian features (refuge islands, slower walk speeds,
high-emphasis crosswalks)
- Providing advance notification (advance guide signs, advance stop,
warning, and yield signs)
Read more about the roadway improvements on the Safe Mobility for Life web
site that can be accessed at this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Operations/
SafetyisGolden_rdwy_improvements.shtm
Roadway Features
Other improvements that can help improve safety are roundabouts which are
circular intersections with no traffic signal, where vehicles flow around a
center island. Sometimes called the safest form of traffic control in the world,
roundabouts are also some of the most attractive features in modern roadway
design. While roundabouts help eliminate a number of safety problems, they also
can be confusing for drivers when they are not use to them that is why the FDOT
has developed educational materials that can be accessed at the following links:
Roundabout Tip Card:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/pdf/
Florida_Safe_Mobility_Roundabouts_Card.pdf
One-Lane Roundabout Brochure:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/Operations/PDFs/FDOT - One Lane Roundabout.pdf
Two-Lane Roundabout Brochure:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/Operations/PDFs/FDOT%20-%202%20Lane%20Roundabout.pdf
A roundabout in Gainesville, Florida
The Michigan Department of Transportation has information on their Web site
about roundabouts including common misconceptions about this roadway feature
plus other articles that can be accessed at this link:
http://www.nwconnector.com/education.cfm
The Washington State Department of Transportation also has roundabout
information and an informative video that can be accessed at this link:
http://www.ci.lacey.wa.us/roundabouts/roundabout_main_page.html
Time Magazine recently wrote an article on roundabouts and it can be
accessed at this link:
http://www.safeandmobileseniors.org/pdfs/You_Want_a_Revolution.Time_9-15-08.pdf
By their nature intersections can be the most dangerous of roadway features.
They are the one place where all roadway users come together in a mix that has
the greatest potential for conflict.
The Advocates for Highway Safety web site includes information on the safety
dangers posed by intersections and to learn more access their web site at this
link:
http://www.saferoads.org/issues/fs-intersection.htm
More information on other FDOT intersection policies and innovations can be
accessed at this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Operations/Intersection_Operations.shtm
These signals consist of a regular pedestrian signal with standard
shapes and color, and an added display showing the number of seconds
left to safely cross the street. FDOT has developed educational
tip card for countdown pedestrian signals and it can be accessed at the
following link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/pdf/
Florida_Safe_Mobility_Ped_Card.pdf
A 11x17 countdown pedestrian signal poster can be accessed and
downloaded at the following link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/pdf/CountdownPedPoster.pdf
AAA Foundation produced a report on Pedestrian Signal
Safety that can be accessed at this link:
http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/PEDsigtiming.pdf
More resources and information tailored specifically for
planners and engineers interested in designing for
safety and usability for senior drivers can be accessed
on the
Engineer and Planner Resources web page.
Current construction information on Florida's
highways can be accessed at this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/publicinformationoffice/construc/constmap/constmap.shtm
My Florida 511
511 is a free service of the FDOT that offers travel
information along with personalized profiles you can
choose. The following types of information is provided
for travelers throughout the State of Florida and is
constantly updated for:
- Traffic Warnings and Updates
- Traveler Information
- Highway Construction Information
- Traffic Information System
- Statewide 511 Travel Information
Read more about this service by accessing this link:
http://www.myflorida511.com/MYFL511/MYFL511
Road Rangers Service Patrol
The Road Rangers Service Patrol has become one of the
most effective elements of the incident management
program created by the FDOT. It is their mission to
provide free highway assistance services during
incidents to reduce delay and improve safety for the
motoring public and responders. The Road Ranger Service
Patrol consists of roaming vehicles, which patrol
congested areas and high incident locations along urban
freeways and have equipment to assist drivers (such as
booster cables, jacks, sand, fire extinguishers, first
aid kits, reflective cones, etc.).
Stranded motorists just need to dial *FHP (*347) to access the
Road Ranger Dispatch. Benefits of the program include:
- Reduction of accidents
- Reduction of incident duration by assisting the
Florida Highway Patrol
- Assistance to disabled or stranded motorists
- Removal of road debris
Read more about the Road Rangers Service Patrol by
accessing this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Traf_Incident/rrangers/rdranger.shtm
 On
October 8, 2008 Governor Charlie Crist enacted Florida’s
“Silver Alert” program. Silver Alerts will help local
law enforcement find elders with dementia or other
cognitive impairment and return them safely home.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, More than 4.3
million Florida residents are age 60 and older, and
there are about 501,000 probable Alzheimer’s cases.
While 95 percent of our seniors live independently, the
Silver Alert program will help prevent tragedy among one
of Florida’s largest potentially vulnerable groups. The
Silver Alert is a standardized and coordinated effort
between local law enforcement, Florida Department of Law
Enforcement (FDLE), Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT), and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicle’s Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to share
information with the public to help improve the chances
of a safe recovery.
To view program criteria and current alerts, visit
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/SilverAlert/.
Specifics of posting Silver Alerts on FDOT's Dynamic
Message Signs (DMS) can be accessed at this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/ITS/Projects_Deploy/SilverAlert.shtm
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