I was out driving the other day and had just exited the freeway onto a downhill grade to a city street. As I sat in a line of vehicles waiting for the traffic signal, I noticed across the intersection from me was a single lane road that was on a long, downhill grade heading towards the same cross street I was waiting for. The bumper-to-bumper traffic stretched for hundreds of feet with a never-ending line of cars spilling over the hill.
From my vantage point, the cause of the congestion was obvious. That long, single lane road eventually splits into either a right turn or a left turn once you get down the hill and closer to the intersection. Both turns were controlled by traffic signals and impeded by heavy cross-street traffic. As I looked on (and thought about how happy I was not to be in the mess across the street), I noticed a pick-up truck in the long line of cars driving over the double-yellow painted lines dividing the downhill and uphill traffic. The truck passed several cars before entering back into the proper lane, where the road widened out for the left turn lane.
Of course, once one person made a move that other people were considering, there was no risk of consequence, and several other people also drove over the double yellow lines into the opposing traffic lane to follow the path of the pick-up truck.
Now while I thought to myself, “You could probably sit here all morning and write tickets for that violation,” I also reflected on the thought process of the people committing said violation: “Why am I waiting behind twenty cars who are waiting to make a right turn, when just past them the left turn lane is open?”
Depending on what side of the fence you are on (or which lane of traffic you are stuck in), you might look at this situation and potential outcomes differently. Some would say the people crossing double yellow lines could potentially drive head-on into someone and cause an accident; therefore, they should be cited for their actions. Others might look at the situation they were in and feel it was reasonable for the violators to commit their infractions based on the totality of their circumstances.
So why did this event make me think of damage prevention and the 811 system?
Over twenty-five years ago, when enforcement agencies looked at tackling an area with a high rate of collisions or traffic violations (like my example above), they looked at the problem by applying the “Three E’s”: Education, Engineering and Enforcement.
The strategy behind it is not just restricted to traffic issues, as similar lenses and problem-solving formulas are applied to situations in other settings and industries.
An example would be if you recognized an issue in your workplace where employees were engaging in an activity you did not want them to do. You would first educate them on the issue, explain why the behavior or act was detrimental, and show them a series of policies to adhere to. You would also engineer a way to make the action or behavior more difficult to engage in by providing options or alternatives to avoid the act or behavior and implement controls to prevent it (physical, design, technical, etc.). After all of this, enforcement would be your last resort when you apply policy violations to individuals who continue to engage in the act or behavior. Some issues may be solved by any one of the strategies independently, while more complex problems may take all three working together, with varying levels of application.
When we look at issues surrounding underground utility safety and damage prevention, the first “E” is our go-to.
The educational component related to what we do comes from a wide range of stakeholders. 811’s, state and local utility associations, public utility commissions, contractors’ associations, public and private utilities, utility locators and organizations like Common Ground Alliance (CGA) are just a few. Everyone does their best to use a variety of outreach to educate the public on the importance of using the 811 system, knowing state “dig laws” and regulations, the importance of timely and accurate utility locates and using best practices to prevent damages and reduce the risk of injury or death.
Engineering is no less important. Besides tackling a current issue, it comes into play when we evaluate our overall system, our procedures and performance. What can we do that would best serve the stakeholders who use the 811 system? Can it be done better? Can it be easier? Are law or policy changes needed? Is there better technology? Are we listening? Are we doing? Are we rising to meet the needs of external conditions beyond our control?
Public perception of the enforcement of laws dealing with regulations and procedures around the 811 system will be formed through our efforts in education and engineering. If someone takes a risk and commits a violation, enforcement is largely seen as fair when ample information and educational resources are and have been readily available. The goal of enforcement and the associated penalties is to change future behavior.
Did the drivers I watched on the street know (EDUCATION) they were violating traffic law? Highly likely. Would an officer writing tickets on that street (ENFORCEMENT) solve the problem? Yes and no. The violations might stop if they saw an officer citing others for the violation as they occurred, but how do you solve the problem long-term when no one is watching? ENGINEERING.
While not an excuse, the people in my example were looking for a solution to a situation brought on by a road designed eighty years ago. A road not built for the current population growth, new businesses, new homes, and the exponential traffic volume that came with all of it, creating a condition for frustration, leading to risky behavior.
Expand the street six feet on either side. Re-configure the lanes. Adjust the traffic signal timing. Reduce the chance of producing conditions that would lead to people feeling a violation was a practical option.
While a staunch advocate of reporting violations and enforcement of our dig laws, I can’t overlook that education and engineering are some of the best tools at our disposal. Why? Relying on enforcement alone (like that officer writing tickets all day) leaves us largely reactive to something that has already happened. Prevention means being proactive and using strategies and our variety of tools before the bad stuff happens. Stay safe.