**GAO-08-788**                      Published: Jul 14, 2008. Publicly Released: Jul 14, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

 

Traffic crashes kill thousands of Americans every year--in 2005, it was the leading cause of death among young Americans. To try to improve highway safety, Congress authorized a grant program overseen by the Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2003, GAO recommended that NHTSA improve the consistency of its management reviews, a key aspect of NHTSA's oversight. In response to a legislative mandate, GAO assessed (1) how states have used grant funding to address safety goals, (2) NHTSA's progress in improving consistency in its management reviews, (3) the usefulness of its management review recommendations, and (4) approaches to further improve safety. In performing this work, GAO reviewed traffic safety data, analyzed state spending patterns, conducted site visits with eight states, and interviewed agency officials.

 

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## Topics

Transportation

Federal aid for highwaysFederal aid to statesFederal regulationsstate relationsGrant administrationGrant monitoringGrants to statesHighway planningHighway safetyLocally administered programsPerformance managementProgram evaluationProgram managementPublic roads or highwaysRisk managementSafety regulationSafety standardsState highwaysState-administered programsStrategic planningTransportation policiesTransportation safetyProgram coordination