State Farm sponsored lesson: "Road Design and Safety" is a PowerPoint for primary and secondary students that overviews safety on roadways and ways in which engineers incorporate safety when designing roads. It also highlights careers in road design and safety. Additionally, this lesson can be paired with a "Design your own 3D Model of Transportation Effectiveness and Roadway Safety" activity.

2. Road Traffic Safety
Road traffic safety is the process of reducing
the risk of a person getting injured while
using roads
Engineers design roads to protect people
and get people to their destination in a timely
manner

3. Facts on Road Safety
2.35 million people are injured or disabled
due to traffic crashes every year
Correct use of seat belts reduces risk of
injury or death by 61%
Nearly 8,000 people are killed in crashes
involving drivers ages 16-20 every year

4. What are some ways that engineers
keep roads safe?
Barriers
Road design
Speed limits
Traffic lights
and signs

5. What do barriers do?
Separate oncoming
traffic
Prevents cars from
veering off the road,
and serious injuries
Protects
construction workers
and pedestrians

6. Types of Barriers
Concrete Barriers
Traffic Cones/Guards
Guard Rail Barriers
Steel Cable Barrier

7. Road Designs
Road and civil engineers design roads for
specific areas
Determine the vehicles that will pass through and
how many lanes will be needed
Design shoulders on side of roads – used to pull
over during emergency

8. Speed Limits
Sets maximum
speed which
vehicles can
legally go
Created to control
flow of traffic
Vehicle weight
and stopping time
put into
consideration, as
well as location

9. Traffic Lights and Signs
Another device to
help control traffic
Traffic lights also
help flow of traffic by
stopping traffic from
one direction to the
next
Signs advise drivers
what to expect
ahead in the roads
and how to act while
driving

10. What should you do in an emergency?
Pull over to the side of the road, preferably
off the road or on the shoulder
Put on hazard lights and make other vehicles
know you’re parked
Get help by calling
police or local
services
Exercise caution!

11. Careers
• Salary: $55,000 - $65,000
• Education: Bachelor’s
• Experience: 0-2 years
Civil Engineer
• Salary: $47,000 - $55,000
• Education: Bachelor’s
• Experience: 0-2 years
Transportation
Engineer
• Salary: $51,000 - $59,000
• Education: Bachelor’s
• Experience: 4 years
Geotechnical
Engineer
• Salary: $38,000 - $57,000
• Education: High School Diploma/G.E.D/Some College
• Experience: 0-2 years
State Patrol
• Salary: $33,000 -$42,000
• Education: High School Diploma/G.E.D.
• Experience: 0-2 years
Construction
Worker

12. Civil Engineer
Civil engineers are able to develop plans to
create and design roads
Planning involves estimating the costs of
projects and the dates that projects may be
finished

13. Transportation Engineer
Determines speed limits and placements of
signs along roads by forecasting traffic flow
Ensures that the roads are safe, well-
organized and cost-effective

14. Geotechnical Engineer
Helps planning in creating safe roadways by
testing if the area’s ground is suitable
Surveys and maps geographic information
and relays the information to civil engineers

15. State Patrol
Enforces road safety laws such as speed
limits and distracted driving
Gives people tickets and warnings for not
following laws

16. Construction Worker
Builds and maintains roads to specific
standards
Uses heavy machinery to complete tasks

17. Activity
Design your own 3D Model of Transportation
Effectiveness and Roadway Safety
First, use the grid paper to plan out your roadways
Must include:
○ Barriers
○ Speed limits
○ Shoulders
○ Traffic signs
○ Multiple lanes
Take your roadway plan and create a 3D Model
with different roadway materials