Appendix A. Tools and Resources
The table below presents other available resources to learn more about crash data collection, safety analysis, and the integration of safety data in the transportation planning process.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Data and Analysis Resources and Tools: FHWA Roadway Safety Data Program Toolbox |
This Web link includes an extensive list of 68 tools, including software, application guides, and information guides to help users navigate the many intricacies of data and analysis. Brief descriptions for each tool are provided, which includes many of the resources listed in this guidebook, such as the HSM, Safety Analyst, GIS, HSIP Manual, MIRE, MMUCC, systemic analysis, network screening, usRAP, and more. |
| Data and Analysis Resources and Tools: Roadway Safety Data Program (RSDP) Web site |
The RSDP Web site provides information and resources that can help an agency improve its roadway safety data. Data and analysis are two areas of RSDP’s comprehensive safety program. Resources on the Web site include: noteworthy practices, access to technical assistance, webinar recordings, case studies, and information on trainings. |
| Transportation Safety Planning Resources: National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 05-46, Incorporating Safety into Long-Range Transportation Planning, 2006 |
Report 546 was one of the first publications to provide MPO and DOT transportation planners with an approach to integrate safety in the planning process. It discusses opportunities to incorporate safety into goal and objectives setting and performance measures. Discussion of data collection approaches is limited, but the safety analysis section is robust. It includes a discussion of the fundamental concepts of safety analysis, appendix C lists a number of safety analysis tools, and appendix D discusses a planning-level forecasting model. |
| Transportation Safety Planning Resources: NCHRP Report 08-76, Institutionalizing Safety in the Transportation Planning Process, 2011 |
Report 876 was the second in a NCHRP series discussing opportunities to integrate safety into the planning process. The document outlines a seven-principle transportation safety planning framework (Transportation Safety Planning (TSP) Framework) and describes a set number of specific strategies, instead of general concepts, to implement the Framework. The strategies were based on extensive practitioner input (surveys, interview, and focus groups). The report introduces the concept of using crash data to develop transportation safety goals, objectives, and performance measures; and includes basic ideas to get started with crash data collection and analysis to inform transportation plans. The report is limited to the fundamental steps a planner would need to take to get started with crash data and analysis. |
| Transportation Safety Planning Resources: NCHRP Report 811, Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies, 2015 |
Report 811 is based on input from five lead States and two peer States that tested the TSP Framework, developed for the original report. Transportation and safety planners in each State participated in a workshop to identify strategies, approaches, tools, and challenges for integrating safety throughout the transportation planning process in their own unique planning environments. The report captures these ideas and offers a number of approaches for planners to address safety in the planning process during committee meetings, data collection and analysis, goal and objective setting and performance measurement, and project prioritization and programming. |
| Transportation Safety Planning Resources: FHWA Integrating Safety in the Rural Transportation Planning Process, 2015 |
This report identifies opportunities for RPOs to incorporate safety into the different tasks that constitute the planning process. It addresses topics such as where to retrieve crash data, opportunities to analyze the information, and how the outputs of the analysis can be used to establish goals, objectives and performance measures. It also has a short section on steps to develop a stand-alone safety plan. |
| Transportation Safety Planning Resources: FHWA Developing Safety Plans: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners, 2012 |
This manual provides local rural road practitioners with a process and high-level information to develop a safety plan, including sections on data collection and analysis, and identifying data-driven emphasis areas, strategies, and priorities. These sections do not provide much “how to” information, but do reinforce the importance of data in safety planning. There also is a section on common issues, which recognizes the reality of data limitations and offers resources and strategies to collect other types of safety data (i.e., road safety audits or the development of an emphasis area on data collection). These strategies would be useful to highlight or reference in the e-handbook. |
| Transportation Safety Planning Resources: FHWA Strategic Highway Safety Plans—A Champion’s Guidebook to Saving Lives, Second Edition, 2013 |
This guidebook reviews the basic principles and important considerations concerning the development of a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). This document outlines the basic processes for data collection, analysis, and application to emphasis areas, strategies, and performance measures. The process used to develop an SHSP is transferable to other transportation planning processes to address safety. |
| Transportation Safety Planning Resources: NCHRP Report 500, Volume 21: Safety Data and Analysis in Developing Emphasis Area Plans, 2008 |
This document addresses a number of items, but most relevant to the e-handbook are the sections on crash data and process. The crash data section explains the types of data that are necessary for making good safety decisions, as well as the data that are helpful, but not required, to develop and implement a safety plan. The process section introduces a three-stage approach for identifying a target emphasis area, setting an appropriate injury (and fatality) reduction goal, and defining the treatments that will allow the jurisdiction to reach that goal. |
| Performance-Based Planning Resources: FHWA Transportation Performance Management Web site |
This Web site provides a comprehensive list of resources to support target setting practices at State DOTs and MPOs. Resources include: Safety Targets Setting Final Report, A Compendium of State and Regional Target Setting Practices, the results of a Safety Target Setting Peer Exchange, Target Setting Literature Review, and the Urbanized and Nonurbanized Safety Target Setting Final Report. |
| Performance-Based Planning Resources: FHWA A Primer on Safety Performance Measures for the Transportation Planning Process, 2009 |
This primer is a tool to help State and local practitioners, transportation planners, and decisionmakers identify, select, and use safety performance measures as a part of the transportation planning process. It describes types of data and how to use it to develop performance measures for goals and objectives. |
| Performance-Based Planning Resources: FHWA Performance-Based Planning and Programming Guidebook, 2013 |
This guidebook presents a process for incorporating performance into the transportation planning process. It discusses the steps to a performance-based planning process (PBPP), which includes the development of goals and objectives, performance measures, planning analysis, trends and targets, strategies and alternatives, and identification of priorities. Data and analyses are key components of this process; and although it does not address safety directly, the PBPP can be adopted and used by planners to identify safety goals, objectives, performance measures, and targets. |
| Performance-Based Planning Resources: NHTSA Traffic Safety Performance Measures for State and Federal Agencies, 2008 |
This publication explains the minimum set of safety performance measures, which are required by States in the development and implementation of behavioral highway safety plans and programs. The 14 (now 15) measures must be reported in Highway Safety Plans and Annual Reports. The measures are based on available data for each State and also could be used/referenced by other agencies (MPO/‌council of governments (COG), RPO) in a State when identifying/‌developing safety performance measures and targets. |
| Performance-Based Planning Resources: FHWA Strategic Highway Safety Plan Evaluation Process Model, 2013 |
This document is meant to assist safety professionals with program evaluation of an SHSP. However, evaluating the performance of safety goals and objectives is a key component to any planning process. Conducting an evaluation requires data to establish performance measures and monitor the results over time. This report discusses the basics of collecting data, establishing output and outcome performance measures and continuous evaluation. |
