Online Tool for Delivering Research Results

Often, the challenge for the practitioner in disseminating research results is to package and present them in a manner that is accessible and easy to use while still providing depth, guidance, and necessary information. In most cases, final research reports are made available in printed form and online; however, for some applications, converting a report to a more interactive online report (tool) can produce results that are easier for the user to access. This is particularly true in this age of information overload and as practitioners find themselves needing to “do more with less.” This paper describes how research results from an update to the Oregon Department of Transportation database of crash reduction factors were incorporated into an online tool. The paper describes the methodology for cataloging a total of 94 crash countermeasures, reviewing the literature, and developing the interactive online tool. The tool allows users to search on the basis of key parameters for the countermeasures most appropriate to a particular highway safety improvement project and to access directly pertinent citations from the literature review database. A case study describes how a traffic safety professional might use this online tool in practice.