U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and Safety Performance Management Measures (Safety PM) Final Rules in the Federal Register on March 15, 2016, with an effective date of April 14, 2016. A summary of the Final Rule major provisions, supplemental materials, information on webinars and other useful links are provided below.
The HSIP is a core Federal-aid program with the purpose to achieve a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. The HSIP requires a data-driven, strategic approach to improving highway safety on all public roads that focuses on performance. The HSIP regulation under 23 CFR 924 establishes FHWA's HSIP policy, as well as program structure, planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting requirements for States to successfully administer the HSIP. The HSIP Final Rule updates the existing HSIP requirements under 23 CFR 924 to be consistent with the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act and the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, and to clarify existing program requirements. Specifically, the HSIP Final Rule contains three major policy changes: Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Updates, HSIP Report Content and Schedule, and the Subset of the Model Inventory of Roadway Elements (MIRE).
The Safety PM Final Rule adds Part 490 to title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations to implement the performance management requirements under 23 U.S.C. 150, including the specific safety performance measure requirements for the purpose of carrying out the HSIP to assess serious injuries and fatalities on all public roads. The Safety PM Final Rule establishes five performance measures as the five-year rolling averages for: (1) Number of Fatalities, (2) Rate of Fatalities per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), (3) Number of Serious Injuries, (4) Rate of Serious Injuries per 100 million VMT, and (5) Number of Non-motorized Fatalities and Non-motorized Serious Injuries. The Safety PM Final Rule also establishes the process for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPOs) to establish and report their safety targets, and the process that FHWA will use to assess whether State DOTs have met or made significant progress toward meeting their safety targets. The Safety PM Final Rule also establishes a common national definition for serious injuries.
Together, these regulations will improve data; foster transparency and accountability; and allow safety progress to be tracked at the national level. They will inform State DOT and MPO planning, programming, and decision-making for the greatest possible reduction in fatalities and serious injuries.
FHWA prepared the summary information below to support implementation of the HSIP and Safety PM Final Rules. This information does not replace the contents of the Final Rules; rather, it serves as a high level summary. You are strongly encouraged to read the Highway Safety Improvement Program Final Rule (FHWA-2013-0019) and the Safety Performance Management Measures Final Rule (FHWA-2013-0020). The Federal Register notices summarize the docket comments, FHWA's response to those comments and changes between the notice of proposed rulemakings and the final rules. The Federal Register notice also includes the revised regulation text.
Final Rules Summary Sheet
The HSIP and Safety PM Final Rule summary sheet is a high level summary of the HSIP and Safety PM Final Rules.
Final Rules Overview Presentation
The HSIP and Safety PM Final Rules overview presentation provides an overview of the relationship between the two rules, an overview of the related FAST Act provisions and detailed overviews of each Final Rule.
SHSP Guidance
This guidance clarifies SHSP requirements, specifically the SHSP: 1) features; 2) update cycle; 3) approval of update process; and 4) penalty for failure to have an updated, approved plan.
State Safety Data Systems Guidance
This guidance clarifies (1) State safety data capabilities required to satisfy the HSIP requirements under 23 U.S.C. 148 and 23 CFR Part 924, and (2) the safety data collection, integration, improvement, and analysis activities eligible for HSIP funding.
HSIP Implementation Guidance
Guidance on implementing the requirements of the HSIP and Safety PM Final Rules for the purpose of carrying out the HSIP.
The HSIP and Safety Performance Measures Final Rules Webinar (4/1/2016)
Additional information on the FAST Act, MAP-21, HSIP, Safety Performance Management, and Transportation Performance Management (TPM) is available at the websites below.
Highway Safety Improvement Program
Transportation Performance Management
For additional information on the HSIP NPRM, visit http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/nprm/.
