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
                        Roadway Safety Information Analysis: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners


            
            In This Section
        Local and Rural Road Safety Program
                Training, Tools, Guidance and Countermeasures for Locals Practitioners
                Crash Facts
                
                1. Introduction
1.1. The Challenges on Local Rural Roads

In 2008, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) indicated that 56 percent of the 37,261 fatalities on U.S. roadways occurred in rural areas.1 Only 40 percent of all vehicles miles traveled nationally occur on rural roads, indicating the overrepresentation of severe rural traffic crashes.2

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), of the 8.4 million lane-miles of roads in the United States, over six million lane-miles are rural and more than two-thirds of these rural roads are owned and operated by local entities.3 Rural areas face a number of highway safety challenges. For instance, rural crashes tend to be at relatively higher speeds than urban crashes; more victims of fatal crashes in rural areas were not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash; and it can take first responders longer to arrive at the scene of a rural crash, requiring victims to wait longer for medical attention. Another challenge is that the geometry of many rural roads was never truly designed; instead, these roadways evolved over time – from dirt to gravel to pavement – without design upgrades or other safety improvements. Additionally, roadside hazards such as utility poles or trees close to the roadway as well as steep pavement drop-offs can contribute to severe crashes on rural roads.



1.2. Local and Rural Guides

This document is part of a series developed by FHWA to specifically address the safety issues experienced on local rural roadways. It was developed to provide processes and examples for typical information needs and analyses local practitioners can use to help improve the safety of local rural roads. Its purpose is to acquaint local practitioners – regardless of background or experience level – with the information sources, calculations, tools, and methods to make data-supported decisions regarding local rural road safety.

Highway safety planning and policy decisions are generally made based on data gathered at the State, county, and municipal levels. Regulations for safety-related Federal funding and safety plan development require data for the decision making process. At the local level, these data requirements might seem daunting, particularly as they relate to funding and staff time needed for data collection, analyses, and overall assessments of safety improvements. It is important to note that a data-supported approach can increase the effectiveness of the distribution of limited funds to improve safety on local rural roads.

Once safety information is collected and needs are identified, analysis can further support practitioners during countermeasure selection. Practitioners can then choose strategies that target the areas of need based on analysis of crash types and other data. When applied directly to appropriate locations (both those with a history of crashes and those without a history but with a potential for future crashes), these targeted countermeasures can significantly improve traffic safety on the roadway network.

Figure 1 depicts the steps for the data collection and analysis process. This process includes determining which information sources will be used, extracting and storing the data as appropriate, and conducting the appropriate analyses. The final step is to periodically review crash data to determine emerging trends and to assess the effectiveness of installed countermeasures.

Data collection and analysis should be the base of the safety management process. The importance of data should be clearly emphasized throughout all stages of a project's life cycle.



**Figure 1. Data Collection and Analysis Steps**"Flow chart depicting the steps for data collection and analysis."





1 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, *Traffic Safety Facts: 2008 Data* (Washington, DC: 2009). Available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811164.pdf. [ Return to note 1 ].



2 Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTrec), Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California-Berkley, "Rural Road Safety website." Available at https://safetrec.berkeley.edu/. [ Return to note 2 ]



3 U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, *Functional System Data: Lane-Miles by Functional System*, Highway Statistics Series, October 2008. Available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/hm60.cfm?hm_year=2007. [ Return to note 3 ]



Download the free Adobe Reader to view PDFs You may need the Adobe Reader to view the PDFs on this page.
      
  Book traversal links for 1. Introduction
      ‹ Roadway Safety Information Analysis: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners
                    Up
                    2. Safety Information Collection ›
                
                Book:Roadway Safety Information Analysis: A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners
              1. Introduction
                2. Safety Information Collection
                4. Countermeasure Selection
                5. Case Studies
                6. Summary
                Appendix A. State Crash Report Example
                Appendix B. Resources 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