TDOT updates Strategic Highway Safety Plan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and other partners signed a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) for 2025-2029.

“By signing this plan, we recognize that effective transportation safety relies on a vast network of partners, each playing a critical role,” deputy governor and TDOT commissioner Butch Eley said in a Wednesday press release. “Every component of our transportation system interacts, and we must work together, coordinate our efforts, and commit to a unified vision for safer travels for everyone.”

Multiple agencies, including the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DOS&HS), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) collaborated to develop the SHSP. The goal of the plan is “to take a proactive approach to zero deaths.” TDOT said that at this time in 2023, the state had seen 187 deadly crashes involving “vulnerable road users.”

The agency described vulnerable road users as pedestrians, cyclists and other users of non-motorized transportation. So far this year, the state has seen 37 fewer crashes involving those users, according to the state. Follow this link to see all Tennessee traffic fatality data for this year.

To address the needs of those vulnerable users, TDOT said it would continue to invest in infrastructure, including sidewalks, crosswalk visibility enhancements and bikeways. Over the past five years, TDOT said the agency implemented more than 300 safety projects totaling $239 million. Fifteen percent of those improvements were focused specifically on vulnerable road users.

Additionally, within the emphasis area of vulnerable road users, the SHSP outlined many action items, including promoting existing bicycle and pedestrian laws. Further, the SHSP listed other legislative goals, like strengthening the Due Care law and the 3-Foot law. The plan also listed a goal of amending legislation so that cyclists could use either arm to signal a right turn.

Vulnerable road users weren’t the only point of emphasis in the plan, though, with other emphasis areas including:

• Data collection and analysis
• Driver behavior
• Infrastructure improvements
• Operational improvements
• Motor carrier safety

The state will have to evaluate the SHSP on a regular basis to ensure data accuracy and the priority of chosen strategies. The Steering Committee, which oversees the SHSP, will meet once quarterly to monitor action items, evaluate and update the plan as needed. One of the SHSP’s action items is also to create a dashboard that would summarize the performance of each action item.