Roadway Safety Policy and Leadership Case Study of Six Midwest States

This study examined various factors that determine policy and political leadership in the adoption of evidence-based policy countermeasures and integrated, performance-based approaches such as Toward Zero Deaths to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries. Specifically, the study sought to increase understanding of the policy context for safety and to engage policy and political leaders and institutions at the state and local level in the application of these approaches. The study focused on six states in the Midwest region-Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin-and engaged legislators and policy safety policy leaders to better understand the challenges and opportunities to improve roadway safety through public policy. In a comparison of the extent of policy adoption and political leadership from one state to another, the study developed, applied, and tested an assessment tool of Toward Zero Deaths and roadway safety programs for each of the six states under review.