KDOT Transportation Safety Conference

Pre-Conference Workshop

Monday, April 15

A.M. Workshop



8:30 a.m. - Noon

Data Visualization: Drive to Zero Crash Data Summary Dashboard and Navigating Ignition Interlock Laws for Law Enforcement (combined AM Workshop breakout below)

8:30 a.m. - 9:15 – 1 Credit

Drive to Zero Crash Data Summary Dashboard

This presentation will provide an overview of the Drive to Zero Crash Summary Dashboard in support of our shared goal of reducing fatalities and serious injury crashes. The Summary Dashboard is designed to provide a visualization of the locations of fatality and serious injuries over a five-year period. The goal of the dashboard is to support the Drive to Zero initiative, the State Highway Safety Plan and to provide a valuable tool for KDOT, the public, local public works, law enforcement and KDOT to view current and past fatality and serious injury crash locations. The presentation will provide a brief introduction and orientation to the dashboard and available drill down tools. In addition, Jim will be providing a brief update for the group on the current progress of the development of the new crash report submission process.

Speaker: Jim Hollingsworth is the Safety Data Section Manager in the KDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety. Jim’s group is responsible for the collection of 60,000 crash reports submitted annually by Kansas law enforcement agencies.

9:30 a.m. - Noon – 2.5 Credits

Navigating Ignition Interlock Laws for Law Enforcement

Do you know what restriction code "I" or "T" means? Can you decipher what "RES/A08" or "RES/A98" and what "WD/ED/RD" tells you?  Can your driver be legal with an ID card and an IID installed? What exemptions are allowed to operate legally without an IID? Can you see the letters KDOR has sent the driver? These question and more will be answered so you can negotiate the IID world with success on the side of the road and in court, as your proper enforcement today saves lives in the future. 

Speaker: Carson Nuss, Technical Trooper KHP has been employed with the Kansas Highway Patrol for 22-years. Since August of 2009 he has been assigned to the Drug and Alcohol Evaluation Unit. Prior to the Kansas Highway Patrol, he was a Sheriff’s Deputy from 1996 until 1999.

P.M. Workshop

1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. – 3.5 Credits

Embark on a riveting exploration of the Oklahoma "Medical" Marijuana Experience, a journey that began with the passage of State Question 788 on June 26, 2018. Delve into the unique dynamics crafted by political activists and external interests, shaping laws with intentionally loose regulations and minimal fees. Witness the unintended consequence of this approach, as international crime syndicates infiltrated the state, turning Oklahoma into the modern-day "Wild West of Weed."

Experience the aftermath of the green rush, akin to a second Land Run, triggering a surge in marijuana entrepreneurship and an unprecedented demand for land. Uncover the staggering reality of over 9,000 licensed marijuana grows, amidst a population where only 10% held medical marijuana cards. As the black-market marijuana trade flourished, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics faced a critical decision—turn a blind eye or take decisive action.

Follow the dramatic turn of events as the Bureau of Narcotics chose to aggressively enforce the laws, simultaneously safeguarding the legal marijuana industry. Witness the shutdown of numerous illicit grows, a strategic move that reduced the once-proliferating landscape to a more controlled 4,000 licensed grows today. This class offers an eye-opening exploration of the highs and lows in Oklahoma's unfolding marijuana saga.

Tuesday, April 16

Registration Check-in, Continental Breakfast and Exhibits Open

7:30 a.m.

Opening Remarks

8:30 a.m.

Vanessa Spartan, Chief of Transportation, Kansas Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Safety

Calvin Reed, Secretary of Transportation, Kansas Department of Transportation

Susan DeCourcy, Regional Administrator at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Richard Backlund, Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Kansas Division

Michael Christopher, Program Manager, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

 

Keynote Address

9:15 - 10:00 a.m.

Reaching the Last 10% - Ideas on How to Improve the Trends in Traffic Safety

While most people in Kansas use a seat belt, don’t drink and drive, and follow traffic safety laws, traffic crashes kill and seriously injury far too many people. Jay Otto will share important insights from the Center’s research exploring the beliefs and characteristics of those who engage in risky driving behaviors. He will set a context for how we can approach growing traffic safety culture, and he will provide concrete tips that practitioners can apply in their local settings. Jay will also be providing a breakout session where these ideas will be further explored, and people can ask additional questions.

Speaker:Jay Otto – Montana State University

Concurrent Session 1

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Enforcing Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Laws

Attendees will gain insights into the dynamic strategies employed by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics in the enforcement of medical marijuana laws. Delve into the intricacies of their aggressive tactics, including interdiction, undercover purchases, and wiretaps, as they strive to address the significant challenge of upholding marijuana regulations in Oklahoma. Discover how these efforts have successfully dismantled over 5,000 marijuana grows across the state. This class provides a comprehensive overview of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics' proactive approach to maintaining the integrity of medical marijuana laws in Oklahoma.

Speaker: Darin Morgan, Senior Agent K-9 Interdiction Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics

Moderator:  Daniel Kiser, Kansas Department of Transportation

Traffic Safety for Schools Panel

This interactive working group session will include SAFE Program elements of success and how to start a SAFE Program, address Drivers Education, Safe Routes, and the National Student Safety Program. Participate with partners to convene and focus on limitations/opportunities and leave  empowered with action items

Speakers: Jenny Lancaster, Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office, Gary Scott, Driver Education, Andy Fry, Safe Routes to School, Meleia Ingram, SAFE Student Board Member, Jenni O’Crowley, SAFE Sponsor

Moderator: Amy Smith, Kansas Department of Transportation

Equity and Underserved Populations

Max Wilcox, transportation safety planner, and Maura Fitzgerald, behavioral safety coordinator, will describe best practices of equity in transportation safety. They describe crash outcome disparities and how to improve transportation safety through meaningful stakeholder engagement and future implementation plans.

Speakers: Max Wilcox and Maura Fitzgerald, Kansas Department of Transportation

Moderator: Nakooma Pelt, Kansas Department of Transportation

Getting Crash Data in the Hands of Kansas 911 and Field Responders through RapidDeploy

RapidDeploy provides emergency call-related data to Kansas 911 centers through the Radius Map and to emergency field responders through the Lightning mobile app.  Crash data from OnStar and Bosch and enhanced location data from Apple and Google along with other data sources feed directly to Radius and Lightning even before the 911 call arrives.  In this session we will cover the current use of Radius and Lightning in Kansas along with a peek into the future of the apps and their role in Kansas emergency response.

Speaker: Sherry Massey, Kansas 911 Coordinating Council

Moderator: Noel Schneider, Kansas Department of Transportation

Lunch and Plenary Session

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Raising the Bar on Vehicle Safety - One Piece of the Safe System Puzzle

Deaths on our nation’s roads have increased by 30 percent since 2014. It’s time to rethink our strategy to address this crisis. IIHS has been successful at raising the bar for automakers and improving vehicle safety for 30 years through our vehicle testing and consumer information programs. That’s one piece of the safe system approach that will be required if we want to achieve our goal of zero fatalities.

Speaker: David Harkey, President, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety      

Master of Ceremonies: Gary Herman, Kansas Department of Transportation

People Saving People - Transportation Safety Recognition Awards Presentation

Concurrent Session 2

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Rural Road Awareness Mitigating Behavioral Risks

Participants will discuss and learn about data connected to driving behaviors and risks more prominent on Kansas rural roads. A deeper look at how to mitigate the behaviors connected to speeding, distractions, failure to use belts, and impaired driving will be addressed. This presentation will also look at the additional rural risks for pedestrians and cyclists, and awareness railroads and farm equipment.

Speakers: Jay Otto, Montana State University, Tim Anderson, Kansas Highway Patrol

Moderator:  Maura Fitzgerald, Kansas Department of Transportation

Blazed & Bewildered: The Impacts of Marijuana on Driving Ability

Recreational marijuana is now at our doorsteps in neighboring states, and as such, the inevitable impacts on impaired driving and traffic crashes is increasing. The presenter will discuss how cannabis can impair a driver's perceptions, reaction time, and ability to concentrate, leading to dangerous situations on the road. The audience will learn ways marijuana can affect driving abilities, including the length of time the effects may last, the potential dangers of mixing cannabis with alcohol & other drugs, and what officers, attorneys & judges can expect to encounter.

Speaker:Matt Bruner, Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Moderator:Roberta Bradbury, Kansas Department of Transportation    

Rural Post-Crash Care

Attendees will learn about the statewide trauma and ambulance assessment, as well as the rural challenges of: County managers, EMS, and volunteer firefighters’ access to education and equipment.

Speakers:Wendy O’Hare, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Donna Connell, Osage County EMS

Moderator: Noel  Schneider,  Kansas Department of Transportation

Leveraging Connected Vehicle Data to Improve Safety

This session will address the Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) plan and vision in Kansas. Policy collaboration amongst state agencies will be discussed. Case examples will include US 83 and the Tampa Connected Vehicle Pilot Project. Discussion included pilot data collection potential to measure OEM and cellphone data to have leading indicators on speeding, harsh maneuvers, phone use, and braking.

Speakers: Charles Miller and Kip Strauss, HNTB

Moderator: Mitch Sothers, Kansas Department of Transportation

Concurrent Session 3

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Exploring the Golden-Hour Zones in Rural Kansas

This session will feature the integrated map of locations from three datasets: rural crashes in Kansas, EMS dispatch (public one), and hospitals. Also, we will estimate travel time based on OpenStreetMap data.

Speaker: Husain Aziz, Kansas State University

Moderator: Max Wilcox, Kansas Department of Transportation

A Slower System is a Safer System

Speed-related deaths account for more than a quarter of our road fatalities. Addressing speed as part of the safe system approach is essential to address both the likelihood of being involved in a collision and the severity of crash. We must address driver behavior, make better use of automated enforcement, set appropriate speed limits, and implement vehicle technologies to slow down drivers.

Speaker: David Harkey, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Moderator: Don Hughes, Kansas Department of Transportation

SpeedQuest: Navigating the Need for Speed

Participants will enjoy a fun game format learning about driving speed, Kansas laws and regulations, the impacts of speed, and how we engineer to mitigate severe crashes.

Speakers: Haley Dougherty, Kansas Department of Transportation, Ben Gardner, Kansas Highway Patrol

Moderator: Roberta Bradbury, Kansas Department of Transportation

Results of the VRU Safety Assessment Workshops     

This session will reveal results of the VRU Safety Assessment in Kansas and include “testimonial” impact from cities sharing their successes of what led them to lower crash rates.  Learn about other states’ noteworthy practices.

Speakers: Jay Aber, WSP

Moderator:  Matt Messina, Kansas Department of Transportation

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Registration Check-in, Continental Breakfast and Exhibits Open

7:30 a.m.

Concurrent Session 4

8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

3 Regional Workshop Sessions

Stakeholders will discuss transportation safety within their region including their efforts in engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency response. Attendees will also learn about previous and forthcoming safety planning efforts and review regional crash data by examining the data dashboard. The goal of these workshops is for all traffic safety stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on the transportation safety challenges and opportunities for their region.

Northeast Region-District 1

Facilitator: Vanessa Spartan, AICP, Kansas Department of Transportation

Moderator:  David Schwartz, Kansas Department of Transportation

West Region-Districts 2, 3, 6

Facilitator: Haley Dougherty, Kansas Department of Transportation

Moderator:  Gary Herman, Kansas Department of Transportation

South Region-Districts 4, 5

Facilitator: Max Wilcox, Kansas Department of Transportation

Moderator:  Chris Bortz, Kansas Department of Transportation

Concurrent Session 5

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

What Kids Learn!

This presentation will address the cognitive development of youth as it relates to safe transportation particularly as vulnerable road users. Attendees will learn about the BikeWalk KC youth active transportation safety programs and receive an overview of Train-the-Trainer program.

Speakers: Laura Fox, BikeWalk KC, Tammy Sufi, Toole Design

Moderator:  Maura Fitzgerald, Kansas Department of Transportation

New Impaired Driving Technologies in Kansas

The investigation and prosecution of impaired driving are among the most difficult handled by prosecutors and law enforcement. A consistent and effective approach when investigating and prosecuting these cases will reduce crashes, injuries, and death on our roadways.

This session will look at promising new technology such as roadside oral fluid testing for drug detection, and utilizing existing resources to improve the warrant process with the use of electronic search warrants. Holding offenders accountable for this dangerous behavior is dependent upon the amount and the quality of evidence obtained during the investigation of these offenses.

Speakers: Matt Payne, Kansas Highway Patrol, Corey Kenney, Office of Kansas Attorney General

Moderator: Noel Schneider, Kansas Department of Transportation

Stop The Bleed (space limited to 55)

A bleeding injury can happen anywhere. We've all seen it happen too often—on the news or in everyday life. Life-threatening bleeding can happen in people injured in serious accidents or disasters. Instead of being a witness, you can become an immediate responder because you know how to STOP THE BLEED®.

The person next to a bleeding victim may very well be the one who’s most likely to save him or her from bleeding to death. By learning how to STOP THE BLEED®, you’ll gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and act quickly and effectively to control bleeding once you learn three quick techniques. Take the STOP THE BLEED® training course and become empowered to make a life or death difference when a bleeding emergency happens.

Our instructors will teach you live—in person, using training materials specially developed to teach bleeding control techniques. They will not only instruct you, they will be available to check your movements as you practice three different bleeding control actions. They will keep working with you until you demonstrate the correct skills to STOP THE BLEED® and save a life.

Speaker: Brian Aeschliman, Stormont -Vail Regional Medical Center

Moderator: Don Hughes, Kansas Department of Transportation

Target Speeds-What Are They?

This presentation will share how State DOT’s currently set speed limits in the United States.  We will also discuss researched alternative ways to set posted speed limits such as target speed limits and the results of these alternative processes for setting speeds.  Then lastly, we will discuss any potential solutions to slow the roll in Kansas.

Speaker: Carla Anderson, PEC

Moderator: Amy Smith, Kansas Department of Transportation

11:30 – 1 p.m.

Luncheon with Plenary Address Driving Change: The Power of Advocacy for Safe Streets

This presentation explores the significant impact of advocacy. It includes the sharing of my personal story and the presentation of an emotional video that embodies the inspiration behind the mission.

The presentation will dive into strategies for increasing awareness among teenagers, blending education with innovative techniques enriched by social and emotional elements, such as the creation of traffic safety murals.



Additionally, two pivotal initiatives will be introduced: the Youth Advisory Board, serving as an avenue for young individuals to actively engage and empower themselves as change-makers in their communities. Families for Safe Streets, a platform where victims and their families, affected by traffic crashes, transform their grief into action by sharing some of the initiatives undertaken by this group, will also be highlighted.



The significance of forming alliances with other organizations and individuals who share the common goal of zero traffic deaths will be emphasized. The presentation will discuss how community-level advocacy is the key to achieving this vision.

Speaker: Sangeeta Badlani, Nikhil Badlani Foundation

Master of Ceremonies: Chris Bortz, Kansas Department of Transportation

2:00 p.m.

Adjourn