Roadway Safety Noteworthy Practices

Acadiana Planning Commission: Data Governance - Louisiana’s Local Government Partnerships
The Acadiana Planning Commission (APC) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) covering the Lafayette, Louisiana urbanized area. Although Lafayette proper is highly urban, the MPO in total covers   More...

Alabama Creates Safety Planning Tools for MPOs
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) led the effort to develop ALSAFE, a spreadsheet-based safety tool that can be used for short- and long-range transportation safety planning. ALDOT developed   More...

Arizona Imports Local and Tribal Data for Safety Analysis
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety completed a pilot project that allows the State to acquire roadway data elements from local   More...

Building a Stronger Database for Predictive Safety Analysis
While many states have made significant strides towards the inclusion of all public roadways in their Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) efforts, an evident disconnect often exists between the   More...

Caltrans CAL-B/C Tool Supports Benefit-Cost Analysis for Highway and Transit Projects
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) must continuously justify the economic effectiveness of their programs and expenditures. In selecting among alternative projects and programs, there   More...

Colorado Uses GIS to Implement Level of Service of Safety
Design engineers at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) developed the LOSS method as an alternative to using crash rates for evaluating safety. The LOSS method compares a roadway segment’s   More...

Consistent Speed Limits for Vulnerable Road Users – Examples from Various Agencies
Speed limits are sometimes inconsistent within a jurisdiction for similar roadways. In some cases, this is because speed limits are applied to roadway sections based on characteristics which may not be   More...

Crash Modification Factors in Practice: Quantifying Safety in the Development and Analysis of Alternatives - Arizona and Colorado Case Studies
Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) can be applied in the development and analysis of alternatives to estimate the safety performance when the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative are considered.   More...

Crash Modification Factors in Practice: Quantifying Safety in the Roadway Safety Audit Process - Michigan Case Study
Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) can be applied in the Roadway Safety Audit (RSA) process to quantify the safety effects of various treatments and justify the RSA team suggestions to the project owner   More...

Crash Modification Factors in Practice: Quantifying Safety in the Roadway Safety Management Process - Virginia Case Study
In 2007, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) started a new program, Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions (STARS), aimed at critical safety and congestion hot spots throughout   More...

Crash Modification Factors in Practice: Using CMFs to Quantify the Safety Performance of Design Decisions and Exceptions - California and Missouri
Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) can be applied in the development and analysis of alternatives to estimate the safety performance when the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative are considered.   More...

Data- and Technology-Driven Strategic Guardrail Management Program
In Virginia, approximately two thirds of fatalities are the result of roadway departure crashes. Various national research studies indicate that having appropriate guardrail can produce a crash reduction   More...

Data Management & Spatial Integration: Missouri’s Transportation Management
This case study documents how the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT’s) Transportation Planning Division (TPD) coordinates with the Information Systems unit (the agency’s information technology   More...

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) Integrates Safety Into the Planning Process at the MPO Level
Transportation planning is a continuous, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) performance-driven process by which States, metropolitan transportation planning organizations (MPOs), and transit operators   More...

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Innovative Traffic Data Sharing Practices
This case study highlights how the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) promotes traffic data sharing with other agencies and makes traffic and geographic information system data available   More...

Evaluating Opportunities Using Predicted Crash Frequency with CMF Adjustment - Missouri Case Study
The following case study illustrates how the Predicted Crash Frequency with CMF Adjustment method has been used to explicitly consider the safety impacts of opportunities during the Value Engineering   More...

FDOT’s Transportation Value to You (TransValU) Supports Benefit-Cost Analysis
Transportation agencies are often faced with difficult decisions and need to answer questions like “which transportation project will provide the greatest return on investment?” To answer such questions,   More...

Fletcher Avenue Complete Streets Redesign – Hillsborough County, Florida
The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), in the Tampa, Florida region, identified several corridors in the roadway transportation network that would benefit from infrastructure   More...

Florida Highway Patrol Piloting Signal Four Analytics, a Web-based Crash Mapping and Analysis Tool
Traffic crash data is available now in greater detail than ever, but making sense of this data remains a challenge to law enforcement, transportation planners, and traffic engineers. These professionals   More...

Florida Uses Predictive Methods found in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) for Alternative Selection in Florida (HSM Case Study 3)
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO's) Highway Safety Manual Part C Predictive Method (Chapters 10-12) estimates crash frequency and severity. The predictive   More...

Florida Uses Web Tool to Develop State-Specific Crash Reduction Factors
Crash reduction factors (CRF) provide agencies with an estimate of the expected crash reduction and/or benefits associated with various countermeasures. However, since local conditions (e.g., roadway,   More...

Florida: Advanced Lighting Measurement System

• The Safety Concern: Collecting crucial data on lighting intensity was labor intensive, expensive, and dangerous.
• The Solution: Deployment of an Advanced Lighting Measurement System.
• The   More...

Focusing on Crash Severity in HSIP Project Selection
Crash data remains a fundamental component of virtually any safety analysis. States use it to identify spot safety improvements, screen for systemic safety improvements, diagnose specific safety concerns,   More...

Genesee County (Flint, Michigan) Uses usRAP to Develop Safety Improvement Plan for County Roads
In 2012, the Genesee County Road Commission (GCRC) in Flint, Michigan, signed an agreement for a U.S. Road Assessment Program (usRAP) Safety Improvement evaluation of the county road system. Initiated   More...

Georgia DOT Uses Curve Safety Assessment Devices for High Friction Surface Treatment Site Selection
RwD crashes are a major emphasis area for Georgia. To address this crash type, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) investigated and implemented several solutions to crashes in horizontal curves.   More...

Governor's Office of Highway Safety Adds Epidemiologist to Strengthen Crash Analysis Capabilities
To thoroughly investigate the behavioral aspects of highway safety, a number of datasets must be merged. In Georgia, the DOT provides location-specific crash data to the Governor's Office of Highway Safety   More...

High Visibility Enforcement – City of Oro Valley, AZ
The Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) has created a data-driven initiative to improve traffic safety in the town of Oro Valley, Arizona. The program is called "HiVE" or High Visibility Enforcement,   More...

Idaho Uses Highway Safety Manual Methodology to Identify Priority Locations for Safety Improvements
To improve cost effectiveness in funding safety projects, Idaho Transportation Department used an innovative, data-driven program for safety analysis on roadways throughout the State. Project include   More...

Idaho Uses Predictive Methods in IHSDM to Evaluate Safety in Idaho 8 Corridor
Idaho used FHWA's Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) along the Idaho 8 corridor to evaluate existing traffic, roadway geometry, and predict crashes using these and the corridor's recent crash   More...

Illinois Conducts State-Specific Highway Safety Manual and Systemic Safety Analysis
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) published the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual Illinois User Guide with Illinois Calibration Factor and Default Values in 2014. This guidebook provides guidance   More...

Illinois Develops Safety Performance Functions for Network Screening
In 2006, the Illinois Center for Transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign performed a research project to develop state-specific   More...

Illinois Develops SPFs for All State Routes and Intersections
While the development of SafetyAnalyst and the Highway Safety Manual was still underway, Illinois decided to incorporate a new analysis technique to assist the state in moving forward with the implementation   More...

Illinois DOT Provides Local Public Agencies with Assistance on the Use of Safety Data
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is committed to reducing the number of fatalities on Illinois roadways. To this end, the IDOT Bureau of Safety Engineering, which was initially created   More...

Illinois Implements Enterprise Data Governance Approach for Improved Road Safety
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has implemented an enterprise data governance approach for managing the collection, storage, distribution, and usage of data across the organization. IDOT   More...

Illinois Safety Portal Makes Key Data Easily Available to Safety Stakeholders
For years, Illinois county engineers wanted access to crash reports for their studies. State legislation was changed to include local governmental agencies, but they still had to sign an inter-governmental   More...

Implementing New Technology
In 2012, Thurston County in Washington State conducted a data-driven safety analysis to identify and prioritize potential safety projects that would be eligible for Highway Safety Improvement Program   More...

Indiana Department of Transportation – Indiana’s State Road 37 Improvement Project
This case study presents an interchange alternatives analysis from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The analysis supported a multi-agency planning and engineering effort that involved   More...

Integrating Safety Analysis in Project Development in Louisiana
The scope of this case study includes all public roads in Louisiana, and multiple operations within the LADOTD. Safety practices are implemented in the following areas: Maintenance: The project designers   More...

Integrating the Safe System Approach and Equity into California’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan
Preliminary data from the California Highway Patrol and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) show that 3,866 people died in traffic crashes on California’s roadways in 2020, the highest   More...

Interoffice Safety Groups at Washington State DOT Use Quantitative Data Evaluation to Determine Strategies Across the “4Es”
Unique among State Departments of Transportation, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) does not have a centralized safety office. Rather, safety is central to decisionmaking across   More...

Iowa Uses Real-Time Data Integration of Snowplow Information and Roadway Safety
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) deploys about 900 snowplows each winter to plow 9,479 centerline miles of road and 25,215 lane miles of roadway. The Iowa DOT continuously seeks ways to improve   More...

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – Kentucky’s Network Screening Process
This purpose of this case study is to describe Kentucky’s network screening methodology for all State-owned roads, as well as local roads classified as a collector street or above. The Kentucky Transportation   More...

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Provides Reduced Data-collection Costs to Local Agencies While Ensuring Data Consistency
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) recognizes the importance of data-driven operations, design, and safety decisionmaking on both State and local roadways. The State's   More...

Louisiana Hires Law Enforcement Expert to Improve Data Collection among Law Enforcement Agencies
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LDOTD) is responsible for collecting motor vehicle crash data for the entire State of Louisiana, as well as maintaining the state crash database.   More...

Maryland Supports Decision Making with Data Linkage and Analysis
Highway traffic safety analysis is a multi-dimensional process involving roadway characteristics, volumes, and crash data. State agencies may encounter difficulties sharing data between agencies and integrating   More...

Michigan Department of Transportation Uses Safety Data Processes
The purpose of this case study is to summarize how the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) incorporates a data governance structure into their standard business operations and how it has helped   More...

Michigan DOT Uses MOU to Define Roles Among Data Generators
The Michigan DOT (MDOT), Department of State, and State Police signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) defining crash data management and funding. The State agencies invested in a team of three people,   More...

Michigan Undertakes Initiatives to Encourage a Data-Driven Approach to Local Roadway Safety
To maximize returns on investment in preparing, utilizing, and maintaining a strong safety data system, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has undertaken a number of programs that make use   More...

Michigan's Roadsoft Program Enables Local Agencies to Collect and Maintain Data, while Preserving Local Ownership and Control
This case study, available as part of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Integration of State and Local Safety Data project, describes Michigan's efforts to integrate local roadway data into   More...

Minnesota: Implementation of Data-Driven Safety Solutions

• The Safety Concern: County roads in Minnesota account for half of all fatal crashes, but less than a quarter of vehicle-miles traveled in the state.
• The Solution: Development and implementation   More...

New Data-driven Approach to Support Safety Countermeasures with Short Service Lives
FHWA’s Minnesota Division partnered with Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and Minnesota’s county engineers to develop a new project funding approach for the state that removes the maintenance   More...

New Hampshire Department of Transportation Uses Safety Data Systems and Processes to Improve Traffic Safety
The purpose of this case study is to highlight noteworthy practices of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) in leveraging technology to enhance safety data management—in particular,   More...

New Hampshire Develops Intersection Inventory to Improve Road Safety
One of the major challenges transportation agencies face when trying to address intersection safety is not having a sufficient intersection inventory that provides location, operations, or geometrics   More...

New Jersey Partnership Provides Technical Support to Local Agencies on Crash Data Analysis
To support SHSP implementation at all levels, New Jersey identified a need to increase technical safety support to local agencies. The Transportation Safety Resource Center (TSRC) was established by hiring   More...

New Jersey Provides Data Decision Support Tool to SHSP Partners
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) recognized a need to provide transportation safety data in a more user-friendly format. Providing easier access to data and enhanced analytic capabilities   More...

New York Department of Transportation Data Integration in CLEAR New York State’s Safety Management Tool
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has a broad-reaching goal to provide safe and efficient roadways throughout the State. This case study presents NYSDOT’s significant advancement   More...

New York State Department of Transportation Work with Local Agencies to Reduce Duplicate Data Collection and Improve Data Analysis
This case study highlights two noteworthy practices at the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) regarding traffic data collection agreements with local agencies and random sampling procedures   More...

NJDOT Launches Data Driven Interactive Tool (Safety Voyager) to Provide Quick and Visual Perspective of Crash Data in New Jersey
A major focus of the New Jersey Department of Transportation's (NJDOT) data driven interactive tool Safety Voyager is to provide a quick and visual perspective of crash data in New Jersey. Data Analysis   More...

North Carolina Creates State-Specific CMFs
North Carolina is one of a small number of States that have actively pursued developing their own crash modification factor (CMF) “short list” for countermeasures that are deployed throughout the State.   More...

ODOT's GCAT GIS Tool Helps Local Roadway Agencies Justify Funding Requests for Road Safety Improvement
Local roadway agencies need a method for obtaining the data necessary to justify funding requests for road safety improvement projects. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) developed a crash-mapping   More...

Ohio Department of Transportation Data Governance Ohio’s People, Processes, and Technology
This case study documents the institutional advances of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT’s) data governance program. In 2020, ODOT is in the final year of the agency’s Data Governance Plan   More...

Ohio Develops Centralized Data Source for All SHSP Partners
The SHSP process requires data from a variety of sources to support the emphasis areas. If a central data source is not available, emphasis area teams may use conflicting data. When the safety data used   More...

Ohio DOT Implements New Roadway Safety Management Process with AASHTOWare SafetyAnalyst^TM
ODOT's use of AASHTOWare Safety Analyst^TM allowed it to develop multiple screening methods in the network screening process resulting in greater identification of rural corridors and projects.   More...

Ohio Economic Crash Analysis Tool (ECAT) Supports Benefit-Cost Analysis
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) uses a data-driven approach to identify, screen, and prioritize potential highway safety improvement projects. ODOT analyzes crash, roadway, and traffic data   More...

Ohio, with Stakeholder Input, Develops Consistent Mapping and Data Standards for State and Local Roads
This case study, available as part of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Integration of State and Local Safety Data project, describes Ohio's efforts to integrate local roadway data into their   More...

Oregon Consolidates Transportation Data
With almost 20,000 lane miles on the Oregon highway system, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is responsible for managing and maintaining its roadway assets. Managed assets include barriers,   More...

Oregon DOT Implements Two New Tools that Evaluate Asset Condition and Efficiently Manage Maintenance Efforts
With almost 20,000 lane miles on the Oregon highway system, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is responsible for managing and maintaining its roadway assets. Managed assets include barriers,   More...

Pennsylvania Develops State-Specific SPFs and CMFs
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) used Part C of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) to develop State-specific safety performance functions (SPFs). For some facility types, PennDOT developed   More...

Rainier Avenue South Redesign – Seattle, Washington
The Rainier Valley neighborhood located in southeast Seattle is home to one of the City’s most culture-rich and diverse populations. Rainier Avenue South is a principal arterial street that connects residents   More...

Road Safety Improvement Program – Garfield County, WA
Despite a commitment to work with Federal and State Agencies to make roadway safety a top priority and move “Towards Zero Deaths” (TZD), Garfield County, WA lacked a data-driven, systematic process for   More...

San Francisco Implements Vision Zero Policy that Focuses on Safe Streets, Safe People, and Safe Vehicles
In 2017 and 2018, San Francisco saw historic lows in traffic-related deaths on its streets. However, every year in San Francisco, approximately 30 people lose their lives and more than 500 are severely   More...

SEMCOG’s Innovative Traffic Data Quality Assurance/Quality Control and Automated AADT Estimation Reduce Labor Costs Associated with Converting and Entering Data
This case study highlights two noteworthy practices at the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) regarding short-duration traffic count validation procedures and an automated annual average   More...

SHSP Committee Provides Forum for Data Collection Improvements
Since data is the foundation of transportation safety planning, the Ohio Department of Transportation identified data improvement as one of the priority emphasis areas in its SHSP. Each year the Federal   More...

South Carolina Department of Transportation – South Carolina’s SC 61 Rural Road Safety Project
This purpose of this case study is to present an example application of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Highway Safety Manual (HSM) to support a rural road   More...

South Carolina Uses Electronic Crash System Deployment for Safety Data Improvements
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) implemented the South Carolina Collision and Ticket Tracking System (SCCATTS), a long-term   More...

Speed Management Action Plan Implementation – Partnerships Help North Carolina Manage Speed
In 2015, North Carolina was among the States that reported the highest percentage of speeding related fatalities; 40 percent of traffic fatalities in North Carolina involved a speeding vehicle. To tackle   More...

Speed Management Action Plan Implementation – The Oregon Experience
States across the Nation are experiencing increases in speeding-related fatalities. In 2014, Oregon reported 105 speeding-related fatalities, which accounted for nearly 30 percent of total traffic fatalities   More...

Successful Strategies for Adoption of Safety Cameras – New York City, NY
Speed is a persistent traffic safety issue; particularly in areas with high pedestrian and/or bike users. One effective enforcement strategy that has been utilized is Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE),   More...

Systemic Safety Analysis – San Diego, California
In 2015, the City of San Diego adopted a Vision Zero approach to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on City streets by 2025. This approach included the development and implementation of strategies   More...

Targeted Reporting of Speeding-Related Crashes – Arizona DOT
Speed Too Fast for Conditions (STFC) is a field provided on most agency crash forms. The intent is to label scenarios where a driver was traveling below the posted speed limit but the speed at the time   More...

Tennessee Develops Horizontal Curve Database
In 2012, The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) accomplished its initial data collection for its entire roadway network, which includes all interstates, state highways, arterials, collectors,   More...

Tennessee Updates Roadway Information Management System (TRIMS) State Roads Database to Include Local Road Data
This case study, available as part of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Integration of State and Local Safety Data project, describes Tennessee's efforts to integrate local roadway data into   More...

Texas Department of Transportation and Texas A&M Transportation Institute: TXDOT Safety Scoring Tool
The Texas Transportation Commission has adopted a goal of zero fatalities on Texas roadways by 2050. Recognizing that new methods would be needed to reach this goal, the Texas Department of Transportation   More...

UDOT's Advanced Data Collection Methods Result in Better Quality of Roadway/Asset Data and Improved Internal Management of Data
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) used state-of-the-art data collection methods to collect roadway condition, location and roadway asset data.Within UDOT, Asset Management, Safety, Planning   More...

Utah and Kentucky Make Innovative Use of GIS-Based Tools
The United States Road Assessment Program (usRAP) is a tool transportation agencies can use to rate their roadways for safety and identify strategies for systematic improvement. UPlan is an interactive   More...

Utah Collects and Uses Roadway Asset Data
Quality data are the foundation for making important decisions regarding the design, operation, and safety of roadways. While crash data have been a consistent element of highway safety analysis, in recent   More...

Utah Department of Transportation Uses Safety Data Processes and Governance Practices
The purpose of this case study is to highlight innovative data management strategies at Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) that support the use of technology to benefit safety programs. In addition   More...

Virginia Department of Transportation Uses Innovative Procedures in Traffic Volume Estimation
This case study presents how the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) estimates traffic volumes on secondary local roadways using a trip generation method instead of taking short-duration counts   More...

Virginia Develops and Uses State-Specific Performance Functions (SPFS)
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) emphasizes data-driven decision-making and desires to improve safety and safety data. From this desire, VDOT implemented a comprehensive set of State-specific   More...

Virginia Uses SMART SCALE to Evaluate Safety Benefits of Proposed Projects
To ensure the best use of limited transportation funds when selecting projects for the State's long-range transportation plan, the Virginia Department of Transportation uses the SMART SCALE tool to help   More...

Washington State and Tribes Share Data to Improve Transportation Safety
In Washington State, the traffic fatality rate for Native Americans is 3.5 times higher than the rest of the population. Tribal and State agencies have recognized the need for improved data in order to   More...

Wisconsin's Information System for Local Roads Expands Local Access to Data while Integrating State and Local Safety Data Systems
This case study, available as part of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Integration of State and Local Safety Data project, describes Wisconsin's efforts to integrate local roadway data into   More...

Working with Locals to Improve Safety Data
One of the key challenges every state faces in addressing its safety issues is the availability of timely and accurate crash data. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) made this   More...

Yale-Kilgore Road Safety and Traffic Assessment, ID
This case study presents a safety analysis by the FHWA, Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD) Highway Safety Team. The WFLHD used the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) software   More...