7.0 Conclusions
This guidebook describes safety data collection and safety analysis approaches, with the goal of assisting State DOTs and MPOs apply the results to the performance-based transportation planning process. Soon, state and regional planning agencies will need to demonstrate how plans, programs, and projects are achieving progress towards meeting seven national goals, including safety. To do so will require planners to understand crash trends (where are we now) and expected crashes (what are the future priorities); conduct safety analyses (what are the impacts of transportation safety in our State or region); and identify safety goals, objectives, measures and targets, and projects in planning documents (what is our framework for achieving a safer future). Current literature typically focuses on each of these tasks (data collection, analysis, and plan integration) individually, but this Guidebook provides a step-by-step approach for incorporating the results of safety data and analysis into existing transportation planning processes. Answers to the above questions are provided throughout the Guidebook, including both basic and advanced examples.
