The Safe System Approach is based on six principles: 1) deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable, 2) humans make mistakes, 3) humans are vulnerable, 4) responsibility is shared, 5) safety is proactive, and 6) redundancy is crucial. The key elements of a safe system approach are strategies that address safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care. MaineDOT’s work greatly impacts two of these five elements: Safe Speeds and Safe Roads.
Road Safety Reviews
MaineDOT conducts two types of road safety reviews depending on the extent and complexity of the safety issue.
Road Safety Audit (RSA) – A road safety audit is a formal safety performance examination of existing or planned roads and intersections conducted by a multidisciplinary audit team. RSAs often are one- or two-day long events. The team usually consists of law enforcement officers, land use planners, municipal officials, concerned residents, state and federal traffic engineers, and safety experts. The team considers the behavioral factors of drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians in addition to considering engineering and design aspects. Potential improvements consider the group’s collective input and are usually identified as short-, medium- or long-term opportunities. The RSA group can also discuss potential funding opportunities, and usually a report is prepared to document the process as well as the recommendations of the group.
Road Safety Assessment – A road safety assessment is a less formal review and generally involves a smaller group of stakeholders working to identify solutions to a specific location. Typically, those in attendance include MaineDOT staff from the Office of Safety & Mobility, the Region Traffic Engineer, the Regional Planner, Municipal Officials, and appropriate law enforcement, fire department, or other EMS officials.
Significant preparation and scheduling are required for these reviews so MaineDOT requires that requests for road safety audits or assessments be made by municipal officials. Members of the public concerned about highway safety issues are encouraged to coordinate with their respective Town to initiate the process.
Road Context
In 2024, MaineDOT is establishing a Roadway Context Classification System that will identify the current context of a roadway based on many factors.
Context classifications will be mapped across the road network in Maine. This map will serve as a guidance tool to assist implementation of MaineDOT’s speed limit process, the updated Complete Streets Policy, and increased utilization of speed
management strategies.
The Roadway Context Classification System Map is available here: MaineDOT Roadway Context Classification System Map
More information about context classifications is available here: MaineDOT Roadway Context Classification System Explanation
For more information about how municipalities can request changes to context classifications, please see this guidance (pending final approval): Speed Limit and Context
Setting Speed Limits
“Safer Speeds” has been recognized as a key objective of the Safe System Approach, an international highway safety strategy adopted by Maine and the United States. MaineDOT sets speed limits on all public roads in Maine, including both State and local jurisdiction roads pursuant to 29-A § 2073 §-1 and 2075, §-3. To set consistent and repeatable speed limits that consider local context and road user safety, MaineDOT has created an updated methodology to set speed limits.
VIDEO: Setting Speed Limits on Maine Roads
This new methodology is based on recent research detailing how roadway context influences driver behavior. The Department has a desire to gain voluntary speed compliance from drivers by posting speed limits which consistently align with road user expectations. Research indicates that changing a speed limit sign alone does not significantly impact vehicle speeds. When appropriate, MaineDOT will strategically use speed management techniques in combination with speed limit postings to achieve the Safer Speeds objective on the state highway system. The roadway and roadside elements used for speed management will more clearly convey the intended and appropriate operating speed to drivers.
The new speed limit methodology is variable, with three processes that consider different factors to appropriately weigh the needs of road users.
MaineDOT’s new speed limit setting procedure will maintain system reliability while improving safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life. Implementing this process and the updated Complete Streets Policy at the same time will maximize progress toward these goals given available resources.
More information about the speed limit setting process is available here: MaineDOT Speed Limit Setting Process
Mobility Needs
Mobility is typically thought of as the ability of the highway to reliably allow the movement of vehicular traffic at an appropriate speed in a reliable manner. Mobility is crucial to the economy of Maine and its residents and has a large impact on their quality of life. As MaineDOT considers safety improvements on our highway system there are most often tradeoffs between safety and mobility.
The truth of the matter is that we cannot afford to have every road be all things to all people given available resources. Transportation planners and engineers are assigned the complex task of finding the appropriate balance between safety and mobility for all modes of travel on each highway section and that largely depends on the context classification (Hyperlink to appropriate section) of the highway.
Lower speed, low volume urban or village roads with high levels of active transportation activity may tip the balance towards access and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Higher speed or those roads in rural areas with less development density will likely prioritize safe and efficient travel between communities for regional mobility needs. High volume priority roads through built-up areas serve many purposes and are our biggest challenge. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to these roadways and MaineDOT will likely strive for a more even balance between safety and mobility.