FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2024
CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (after hours)
David Finleyson (Michelin)
New data will give states a better picture of current roadway safety problems and how to address them
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has partnered with Michelin Mobility Intelligence (MMI) to provide $300,000 in competitive grants to three states for advanced traffic safety data collection and analysis that can help make roads safer.
The State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) in California, Minnesota and Washington will each receive $100,000 in Michelin data services, allowing them to develop a more current and complete understanding of traffic safety issues, their underlying causes and potential solutions.
Near real-time data collected from a variety of sources – such as vehicles, tires and cell phone apps – can supplement legacy data and provide valuable new insights. By utilizing both long-term data to identify safety trends and more immediate data that reflects the current situation, states can gain a more complete understanding of what’s happening on the road and what countermeasures should be deployed to have the biggest impact.
“Data underpins every decision we make in traffic safety. Too often, however, roadway safety professionals are reacting to old, outdated information,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins. “New and innovative data sources, such as those captured by Michelin, can help states and communities develop a more current, robust and nuanced picture of the most pressing safety concerns and how best to address them.”
The three SHSOs will utilize the grant funding in the following ways:
- California: The data provided by MMI will help the California Office of Traffic Safety and its partner agencies measure the effectiveness of recent increases in traffic enforcement and target where additional resources may be needed to deter dangerous driving behaviors, with a goal of reducing deaths and serious injury crashes.
- Minnesota: MMI will provide the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) with data on distracted driving (like phone handling), speeding and harsh braking in Hennepin County. The MMI data, in combination with crash data and other traffic safety information, will help OTS and its partners implement countermeasures to protect road users in the state’s most populous county. The lessons learned and data trends will also provide insight and inform solutions for all of Minnesota.
- Washington: The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) has identified South King County and Yakima County as areas that are overburdened and underinvested. This has resulted in higher rates of fatal crashes impacting historically marginalized communities and disproportionately impacting Native American, Black and Hispanic populations. WTSC will use MMI’s data analysis to guide the implementation of projects to improve the safety of those identified areas, and a tool for discussions with community members on MMI-identified high-risk locations. The Commission will also share the data analysis with local public works agencies to encourage infrastructure improvements and inform additional behavior change educational programs.
“At Michelin, we’re driven by the conviction that decisions should be made based on our societal values of safer and greener mobility for all, and that data-informed solutions are the cornerstone of safer and better transportation,” said Erik Dietz, President and COO of Michelin Mobility Intelligence, North America. “We’re committed to transforming data into actionable insights that can help address risks and enhance mobility for all. Our collaboration with the Governors Highway Safety Association marks a significant stride in our mission to help bolster roadway safety. This partnership is not merely a response to an immediate need; it’s a forward-looking endeavor to lay the groundwork for a future where every journey is safe. Together, we can help address the immediate challenge while paving the way for a future of safer mobility.”
Dietz will share early progress and lessons learned from the projects funded by these grants at the GHSA 2024 Annual Meeting, held in Indianapolis this September, at a General Session titled “Future Frontiers in Roadway Safety: What’s Coming Next?” He’ll also discuss the availability and value of commercial transportation data for use in highway safety planning, as well as opportunities and challenges for collaboration in this area, among other topics.
Ten states submitted creative ideas on how they would put Michelin data – which is drawn from anonymous data from more than 45 million connected drivers across North America – to use in their communities. After a competitive process, Michelin and GHSA selected California, Minnesota and Washington as grant recipients.
# # #
About GHSA
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Visit ghsa.org for more information or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Michelin Mobility Intelligence
Michelin Mobility Intelligence leverages data for safer mobility and is part of the Michelin Group, the world leader in mobility. Its mission is to contribute to sustainable mobility through innovative driving data. With more than one billion miles analyzed in Europe and the United States, it is a benchmark player in mobility data analysis.