Editor’s Note
Have you ever wondered what you’re worth? We did. The team here at Safe Highway Matters has researched the value of Safety Service Patrols and the service they provide again and again. If assisted motorists’ praise and thanks, or the national and state recognition and awards do not prove the value of SSPs, the numerous studies that show an undeniable benefit to society that far outweighs the cost to operate the patrol sure does. These studies prove that there is no arguing about the great and valuable service that SSPs offer traffic incident management and highway safety initiatives.
Safe Highway Matters still was curious though, how have researchers been able to attach a dollar figure to SSP program’s benefits? For this quarter’s publication, Suzannah Cockerille was enlisted to reach out to the head researchers on the topic to find out just how all of the benefits offered by SSP programs– from reducing traffic congestion and the risk of secondary incidents to saving the environment by reducing gas emissions– can be quantified and valued. Thanks to input from Jason Chih-Sheng Chou, Dr. Elise Miller-Hooks, Rebecca M. Brewster, the FHWA and the extensive existing studies on the evaluation of SSPs resulting in benefit-to-cost ratios, Safe Highway Matters and its readers can now gain a better idea of the value associated with these programs and how that value is determined.
In particular, Safe Highway Matters is pleased to learn of the new tool for measuring benefit-to-cost ratios of SSPs that will allow states to more easily and more consistently evaluate their patrol’s value. Special thanks to Jeff Lindley of the FHWA for informing Safe Highway Matters of this new tool and for participating in this quarter’s profile piece.
Don’t forget to stay updated with us throughout the quarter on our Twitter and Facebook pages. We also would like to inform you of a new group created by a Safety Service Patrol operator on Facebook called “Safety Service Patrollers United.” It’s another great way to stay connected with fellow SSP professionals!
Thank you to all who contributed to this issue. We look forward to receiving any feedback, suggestions and updated information from your patrols in the next quarter.
Wishing you safe travels,
Rita Gallagher
Editor in Chief