Abstract:
The need to reduce fatal and injury crashes on Tribal lands has been recognized for years. The U.S. has realized a decline in fatal crashes over the past several years but fatal crashes continue to increase on Tribal lands. Little progress has been made in improving safety on Tribal lands. Limited resources and lack of coordination across jurisdictions has made it difficult for Native American communities to address their roadway safety concerns. The rural nature of many of their roadways and lack of crash data has also made it difficult for Tribes to implement an effective safety improvement program. A methodology that is able to address these challenges is presented in this paper to assist Tribes in reducing fatal and injury crashes. The proposed methodology has been implemented successfully in the Wind River Indian Reservation. Key to the success of such a process is collaboration among safety stakeholders, namely the state departments of transportation, Tribal leadership, Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and local and Tribal law enforcement.
Turtle Talk 