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Vulnerable road user safety assessment in Puerto Rico

Vulnerable road user safety assessment

Road safety

Vulnerable road user safety assessment

Vulnerable users are pedestrians, cyclists, and wheelchair users who use the transportation system. These users travel without bodily protection, exposing themselves to a higher risk of serious injury or death in the event of a crash. Additionally, these users include construction zone workers and users of personal transportation devices (scooters, skates, skateboards, etc.), but do not include motorcyclists* or motor vehicle drivers.
  • Motorcyclists are excluded because they are more likely to cause harm to other transportation system users (e.g., pedestrians, cyclists). Similarly, motor vehicle drivers are not included because they are protected by the vehicle, which can cause severe incidents due to its size and the speeds it can reach.
It is an evaluation of the transportation system’s performance regarding vulnerable users and the state plan to improve their safety. At a minimum, this evaluation includes a quantitative analysis of crash data involving vulnerable users and a qualitative, multisectoral analysis culminating in the definition of strategies and projects to improve transportation for vulnerable users using the Safe System Approach.
DataAnalysis Determinehigh riskareas Gatherentitiesand actorsfrom relevantsectors(4E's)* Define strategies or projects *The 4E’s are: Education, Emergency responde, Enforcement, and Engineering.
Due to the increase in fatalities of vulnerable users in the United States, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established a VRU Safety Special Rule, which declares that each state must confirm if vulnerable user fatalities are equal to or greater than 15% of the total annual traffic fatalities. If this is the case, the state must allocate no less than 15% of its funding under section 104(b)(3) to projects that improve road safety for vulnerable users.

Additionally, and in accordance with federal regulations, all states are required to develop a road safety evaluation for vulnerable users as part of their Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).

In Puerto Rico, these federal regulations were diligently adopted and implemented. As shown in the figure below, historically, vulnerable user fatalities in Puerto Rico have exceeded those in the United States by up to 21%, representing between 25% and 38% of traffic fatalities in Puerto Rico.
The evaluation process in Puerto Rico consisted of an initial analysis of road safety data from 2019 to 2022 for vulnerable users. Using the results of this analysis, high-risk areas by region and hotspots for vulnerable user crashes were identified.



Once high-risk areas were identified, the process continued with consultative group meetings. These consultations were held in municipalities with high-risk areas in all ACT regions. These meetings with municipalities and safety delegates occurred in August and September 2023 in four (4) municipalities.