Roadway Safety Professional Capacity Building Program

Develop Your Plan

This page features information on the fundamental elements of the SHSP process. This is helpful for States that are updating their Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP) or assessing their SHSP development process, and it also provides a reference for professionals new to safety and planning. These elements are described in The Strategic Highway Safety Plan Champion’s Guidebook, Second Edition.

New! SHSP Quick Reference Guide: This guide is designed to provide professionals, especially those who are new to the SHSP process, with quick and easy access to the information they need to successfully understand and manage an SHSP. It provides an overview of the basic elements and requirements of an SHSP, as well as offers helpful resources and links to learn more. The guide also contains practical tips and noteworthy practices from professionals involved in the daily operations of the SHSP process. If it’s too long you can take out the highlighted part.
New! Safety Target Coordination Report: MAP-21/FAST Act regulation require that identical safety targets be set in each State for the common safety performance measures. Additionally, safety targets must be coordinated between State DOTs and MPOs. The SHSP process provides an excellent forum for target setting discussions and coordinatingannual target setting methods with the SHSP multiyear goal setting approach. This report documents best practices identified via interviews and workshops that can help States and MPOs improve coordination on safety target setting.
SHSP Overview: Review SHSP History and Background, Legislative and Regulatory Requirements, Benefits of SHSPs, and the SHSP Cycle.
SHSP Fundamentals: Learn about the fundamental elements of a successful SHSP; including Champions, Leadership, Organizational Structure, Safety Partners, Collaboration, and Communication.
Data Collection and Analysis: Learn about the data driven SHSP process; including Types of Data, Data Integration, Data Collection and Management, Data Analysis, and Data Sharing.
- Applying Safety Data and Analysis to Performance-Based Transportation Planning: This guidebook provides State and regional planners with information on how to effectively use safety data and analysis tools in performance-based transportation planning and programming processes.
SHSP Content: Learn about the elements that should be included in an SHSP; such as Performance Measures, Strategic Goals and Objectives, and Emphasis Areas.

For assistance with determining emphasis area strategies, you can consult:
- FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures
- NHTSA Countermeasures that Work
- Towards Zero Deaths: A National Strategy on Highway Safety
- NCHRP 500 Series (Implementing the AASHTO SHSP)
- NCHRP 622: Effectiveness of Behavioral Highway Safety Countermeasures
- FHWA Crash Modification Factors
- Handbook for Designing Roadways for the Aging Population
- BIKESAFE: BIKESAFE is an online guide for implementing countermeasures to improve the safety and mobility of bicyclists. It provides practitioners with information and tools to review and select engineering and roadway infrastructure improvements to reduce bicyclist injuries. BIKESAFE is comprised of four sections: A guide of basic information, specific countermeasure details, case studies, and an expert system tool for countermeasure selection, as well as links to dozens of other helpful web resources.
- Pedsafe 2013: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System. First developed in 2003, Pedsafe is an expert system that allows the user to select treatments (mainly engineering with some enforcement and education activities) that help mitigate a known crash problem or help achieve a specific performance objective
SHSP Preparation: Learn how the SHSP can be formatted.
SHSP Implementation and Evaluation: Review the importance of SHSP Implementation and Evaluation.
Resources: Find additional resources for SHSP development, implementation, and evaluation.