HISTORIC TRIANGLE – Drivers in the Historic Triangle have seen plenty of reminders this summer that road safety is a serious concern, with the expansion and resurfacing work on I-64. Now the Virginia Department of Transportation is asking drivers to share what they see as the biggest safety issues on Virginia roads.
VDOT released a survey on Aug. 7, asking the public to provide their thoughts on safety and experiences on the road as they work on updating their five-year Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
The statewide survey asks Virginians to identify what they consider to be the most pressing safety issues within the plan’s emphasis areas.
“Public input provides valuable insight into Virginians’ experience, concerns and issues, as well as their perspectives on how we can improve our roadways and address unsafe behavior,” said Amy Friedenberger, VDOT’s external communications manager, in an email.
The document provides guidance and areas of focus for road safety efforts, with an oversight committee comprised of VDOT, the Department of Motor Vehicles, Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Health and other state and local agencies and partners.
Part of the plan includes Virginia’s Toward Zero Deaths initiative aimed at reducing highway deaths and serious motor vehicle injuries. According to the Aug. 7 press release, the number of these incidents decreased in 2025, but remains at pre-pandemic levels.
According to VDOT’s safety plan page, the agency is implementing a Safe System approach, focuses on 13 areas of emphasis, split into five approaches: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads and post-crash care. The plan also implements ways to improve highway safety through engineering, enforcement, education and emergency response systems.
The survey will remain open through Aug. 23. The updated plan is expected to be released in early 2027.
