USA Banner
  U.S. flag
              An official website of the United States government Here's how you knowOfficial US Government Icon
              **Official websites use .gov**A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
            Secure Site Icon
              **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                  A **lock** ( A locked padlock ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
 U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation
 Search DOT
            Search
                    About FHWAFHWA Organization
                Headquarters Offices
                Field Offices
                Strategic Plan
                Business Opportunities
                Staff Directories
                Careers
                Highway History
                Contact UsProgramsAcquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                Safety
                Browse by TopicsResourcesCore Highway Topics
                Federal Aid Essentials
                Automation
                Complete Streets
                Laws and Regulations
                Policy & Guidance Center
                Section 508
                Publications and Statistics
                Professional Development
                National Highway Institute
                Resource Center
                Accessibility Resource Library
                FHWA Research LibraryNewsroomPress Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Photos
                Videos
                Media ContactsMenu FHWA Highway Safety Programs Home
                        Safety
                        Roadway Departure Safety
                        Reduce Crash Severity
                        Hardware Eligibility Letters


            
            In This Section
        Roadway Departure Safety
                Strategic Approach
                                Strategic Plan
                Crash Emphasis Brochures
                Focused Approach
                Noteworthy Practices
                Partner Resources
                Keep Vehicles on the Road
                                Pavement Friction
                Horizontal Curve Safety
                Rumble Strips and Rumble Stripes
                Nighttime Visibility
                Provide for a Safe Recovery
                                SafetyEdge
                Clear Zones
                Reduce Crash Severity
                                Overview
                Hardware Eligibility Letters
                Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures (FoRRRwD)
                                Overview
                All Public Roads
                Proven Countermeasures
                Systemic Approach
                Safety Action Plans
                FoRRRwD Resources
                
                Safety Eligibility Letter CC-177
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Barrier Terminals and Crash Cushions
                          **Code:**
            CC-177
                          **Date:**
            01/12/2024
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            MASH
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Hill & Smith
                          **Device Description:**
            SMARTPOD
                          **View PDF:**
            CC-177_Letter_508.pdf (355.17 KB)
    
    January 12, 2024





In Reply Refer To: HSST-1/CC-177

Andrew Dameron

Hill & Smith

987 Buckeye Park Road

Columbus, OH 43207

USA



Dear Mr. Dameron:



We received your correspondence of January 6, 2023 requesting issuance of a reimbursement eligibility letter under the Federal-aid highway program for the roadside safety system, device, design, product, or hardware (collectively “device”) described below. This letter is assigned Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) control number CC-177.



Eligibility Letters



The FHWA issues Federal-aid reimbursement eligibility letters for new roadside safety devices that are crash tested in accordance with the industry standard of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).



FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States (government) do not regulate roadside safety devices, crash test facilities, or the manufacturing industry. Issuance of eligibility letters is discretionary and provided only as a service to the states. FHWA may, at its discretion, decline to issue, revise, or rescind an eligibility letter. Eligibility letters are only issued by the FHWA headquarters Office of Safety.



Eligibility letters are issued only as notice to the states that a device is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. They do not establish approval or certification for any other purpose. Issuance of an eligibility letter is not a prerequisite or requirement for state transportation agencies seeking to use Federal-aid funds for roadside safety devices. State agencies may use a device for which an eligibility letter has not been issued and seek Federal-aid reimbursement.



Federal-aid Reimbursement



The request for issuance of this letter certified the device was crash tested in accordance with the industry standard of AASHTO’s MASH. This eligibility letter is based on that certification and the material offered in support of its issuance. The device described below is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program.

Name of system: SMARTPOD

Type of system: Crash Cushion Test Level: Test Level 3

Testing conducted by: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC

Date of request: January 6, 2023



Information about the device, including material such as the eligibility request, crash test reports, drawings, or images are included in one or more attachment(s) to this letter.



Eligibility letter CC-177 is inapplicable to devices, optional equipment, alternate materials, or other features that were not crash tested in accordance with AASHTO’s MASH.



This letter is issued only for the subject device as crash tested under AASHTO’s MASH. Later modification(s) of the device are not eligible for Federal-aid reimbursement under this letter.

Notice of later modification(s) should be given to transportation agencies, facility owners, and operators (collectively “agencies”).



Agencies should be provided appropriate information about the device’s design, installation, maintenance, materials, and mechanical properties.



Issuance of this letter is discretionary, and it may be revised or rescinded at FHWA’s discretion. This letter is not a determination of compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) or ownership of any intellectual property rights.



This eligibility letter is not a determination by the government that a crash involving the subject device will result in any particular outcome. It is limited to only the device’s eligibility for Federal-aid reimbursement.



Intellectual Property



Issuance of this eligibility letter does not convey property rights of any sort nor any exclusive privilege. This letter is not authorization or consent by the government for the use, manufacture, or sale of any patented or proprietary system, device, design, product, or hardware for which the requester is not the patent owner. Eligibility letters are not an expression of any view, position, or determination by the government as to the validity, scope, or ownership of any intellectual property rights to a specific device. These letters do not grant, impute, suggest, or otherwise establish any ownership, distribution, or licensing rights to the requester. The government expresses no opinion about the intellectual property rights relating to any device for which this or any other eligibility letter is issued.



Public Disclosure



To prevent any misunderstanding, and as discussed above, this eligibility letter is assigned FHWA control number CC-177. It should only be reproduced in full with its attachment(s). This letter and the material offered by the requester supporting its issuance is public information. All eligibility letters and supporting material are subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Eligibility letters are available to the public at https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/countermeasures/reduce_crash_severity/.



If you have any questions please contact Aimee Zhang at Aimee.Zhang@dot.gov.



Sincerely,

Robert Ritter's signature



Robert Ritter

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Office of Safety



Enclosures

Link to the letter with attachments: https://hillandsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CC-177_Letter-SmartPod.pdf U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

202-366-4000Subscribe to email updates
                    About
  

        
              About FHWA
                Careers
                Org Chart
                Staff Directories
                Work with UsPrograms
  

        
              Acquisition Management
                Civil Rights
                Federal Lands Highway
                Infrastructure
                Innovative Program Delivery
                Operations
                Planning, Environment, and Realty
                Policy
                Research, Development, and Technology
                SafetyPolicies, Rights, Legal
  

        
              About DOT
                Accessibility
                Budget and Performance
                Civil Rights
                FOIA
                Information Quality
                No FEAR Act
                Office of Inspector General
                Privacy Policy
                USA.gov
                Web Policies and Notices
                Web StandardsNews & Events
  

        
              Newsroom
                Press Releases
                Speeches & Testimony
                Media Contacts
                Connect with Us