Iowa State Online
Search Close Search
Toggle Menu
View Categories

usRAP Data-Driven Safety Analysis and Planning

usRap-Course-1Course Description

This course is intended for prospective users of usRAP and senior staff who are considering whether a usRAP project is right for their agency. usRAP: A Proactive Approach to Data-Driven Safety Analysis and Planning is one of a series of courses developed in a partnership between Iowa State University and usRAP.  It covers the history of usRAP, the research basis for its protocols, the process of conducting a usRAP study, and the outputs from the program software. Participants will learn what is required to conduct a usRAP project (data, labor, etc.), and how the program’s star ratings and safer roads investment plans can provide a rational assessment of risk as a basis for informed decision-making.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for highway engineers, road authorities, transportation planners, consultants, and other decision-makers who are interested in determining whether a usRAP project would be of value to their agency or clients. For enrollees in the companion usRAP Data Coding: A Complete Course on Data Preparation, this introductory course may also provide a valuable overview and context for the work they will be doing as coders. Finally, this course may be of interest to road safety professionals and practitioners, and to members of the public who are interested in learning more about the role that infrastructure plays in highway safety, and the U.S. contribution to a global effort to eradicate high-risk roads.

  • Learning Outcomes
  • Assessments
  • Course Outline

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

  • Broadly talk about usRAP, its mission, and its team members
  • Identify the different parts of the usRAP analysis process
  • Pinpoint the main features of ViDA and Safer Roads Investment Plans and their benefits and value to highway agencies
  • Define the Star Ratings and their relationship to roadway safety

There is one assessment at the end of the course that you must pass in order to receive PDH (CEU) credits. You must score at least an 80% or above on the assessment to receive credit for the course. You are allowed 3 attempts to pass the assessment, with each attempt having a 1 hour time limitation.

Module 1: Introduction

  • usRAP: General Information
  • iRAP
  • What is ViDA?
  • What is a usRAP Safer Roads Investment Plan?

Module 2: usRAP Analysis Process

  • Section 2.1 & 2.2: Road Coding and Data Preparation
  • Section 2.3: Data Processing- ViDA
    • ViDA Demonstration
    • Case Studies
  • Section 2.4: Star Ratings
  • Section 2.5: Safer Roads Investment Plans

Module 3: Summary & Next Steps

  • usRAP Summary
  • Software Licensing/ Accreditation
  • Contact information for usRAP and Sponsors
  • Relationship to other training courses
  • How to Get Started

Course Procedures

The course begins the date we receive your registration. All coursework must be completed within 30 days of that date. Approximate time to complete this course is 1.5 hours. Once your registration information is received, we will send you your username and password to access the course site.

Complete the learning modules at your own pace. For each learning module, you will watch a lecture video with PDF handouts. Upon completion of the assessment and the course, you will receive 0.15 CEU (1.5 PDH) by ordering your credits from our Web site. Issuing cost of CEU’s is being waived by RSF (Reg. $25). Please request your CEUs through the course site.

Course Materials

You will be provided with PDF handouts and video presentations. This course has no required textbook. The Coding Manual is referred to throughout the course. If interested, the Coding Manual can be accessed by taking the second course in this series.

Contact Information

Contact isopd@iastate.edu for more information.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 0.15 CEUs (1.5 PDHs)

Registration Cost: Waived by RSF (reg. $600)

Course Hours: 1.5 hours

Course Start Date: Upon Registration

Course Access Time: 30 Days

Instructor

Bruce_HamiltonBruce Hamilton

Executive Director of Roadway Safety Foundation

Bruce joined the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) in 2014 as the Director of Safety and Research Programs. In this role, he is responsible for managing the Foundation’s various projects and programs, including the U.S. Road Assessment Program (usRAP) and the online Clearinghouse for Older Road User Safety (ChORUS). Prior to joining RSF, Hamilton was the Research and Communications Manager at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, and a Training Coordinator at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. Bruce earned a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University and is a Master of Public Health candidate at the George Washington University’s Milken Institute.

Public & State Agencies Utilizing usRAP

  • Florida DOT
  • Illinois DOT
  • Iowa DOT
  • Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC)
  • Michigan DOT
  • New Jersey DOT
  • New Mexico DOT
  • Utah DOT

Learn more about these agencies’ projects and research with usRAP

Engineering Headshot

I intend to use the knowledge and information gained from this course to developing a consistent well thought-through road safety program and projects going forward at my workplace. Highly recommended for those who have a passion for road safety.

Eng Lim