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                        Safety Data Analysis & Tools


            
            In This Section
        Safety Data Analysis & Tools
                Crash Modification Factor Clearinghouse
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                Highway Safety Manual
    

    
    
          The Highway Safety Manual (HSM), published by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the recognized source of information and methods for quantitatively evaluating traffic safety performance on existing or proposed roadways. The HSM provides a science-based, technical approach that helps State and local agencies take the guesswork out of safety analysis. FHWA has developed supporting implementation tools including the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM), the Crash Modification Factors (CMF) Clearinghouse, and the Systemic Safety Project Selection Tool. These tools will greatly advance state and local highway agencies' ability to incorporate explicit, quantitative consideration of safety into their planning and project development decision making.

The HSM provides a science-based, technical approach to facilitate consideration of safety in roadway planning, design, operations, and maintenance decisions. This allows safety to be quantitatively evaluated alongside other transportation performance measures such as traffic operations, environmental impacts, pavement durability, and construction costs.

Visit AASHTO's Highway Safety Manual Webpage at highwaysafetymanual.org.

This serves as the official HSM website where you can find the most up-to-date information and new developments on the HSM.

HSM Outreach Materials

HSM Overview Brochure
	HSM Overview Fact Sheet
	An Introduction to the Highway Safety ManualHSM Technical Support

Post questions to HSM User Discussion Forum COMING SOON
	Email questions to info@highwaysafetymanual.orgHSM Informational Resources

Safety Analysis Needs Assessment for Transporation Systems Management and Operations
	The Federal Highway Administration recently released a conducted a Safety Analysis Needs Assessment for Transportation Systems Management and Operations, intended for transportation practitioners as well as researchers. The needs assessment contains various types of safety performance evaluations for some TSMO strategies. However, there are only a limited number of published safety performance evaluations that are robust enough to inform future evaluations and/or the development of quantitative safety performance predictions. There is a need for safety and operations staff from local, State, and Federal agencies, as well as researchers and other stakeholders, to engage in regular dialog on safety performance evaluation needs and priorities specific to TSMO strategies. The needs assessment also identified methodological needs for analyzing the safety performance of TSMO. The report concludes with recommended next steps in continuing to advance safety performance analysis capabilities of TSMO. Readers of this report will gain an increased understanding of existing knowledge, analysis methods, and research needs in the context of quantifying the safety performance effects of TSMO.
	Safety Performance Analysis of TSMO: A Practical Approach for Assessing Traffic Signal Coordination Effects on Crash Probability and Severity
		Safety Performance Analysis of TSMO: A Practical Approach for Assessing Safety Service Patrol Effects on Secondary Crashes
	HSM Implementation Guide for Managers
	Integrating the HSM into the Highway Project Development Process
	Scale and Scope of Safety Assessment Methods in the Project Development Process
	The Federal Highway Administration recently released Scale and Scope of Safety Assessment Methods in the Project Development Process, an informational guide that assists State and local agencies in identifying and applying suitable methods for quantitatively assessing the safety performance impacts of project development decisions such as comparing various design alternatives. The guide suggests assessment methods that may be suitable for answering safety performance-related questions that typically arise during each phase of the development process and for projects of various types. It also provides examples that illustrate the thought process for selecting a safety assessment method. This information on safety performance can then be considered in concert with other project criteria to make more informed highway investment decisions.
	State Policies and Procedures on Use of the Highway Safety Manual
	The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently released *State Policies and Procedures on the Use of the Highway Safety Manual* (HSM), an informational report for States developing policies and procedures on use of the HSM in transportation planning and programming, engineering and design, operations and maintenance, and roadway safety management. The report provides noteworthy examples of existing language in States’ policy documents and procedures manuals as well as sample policy and procedures language. The HSM provides methods for estimating safety performance that help practitioners, managers, and executives effectively implement strategies to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes.
	

	You can find additional FHWA information resources to help implement the HSM at the Roadway Safety Data Program. FHWA's Every Day Counts Data-Driven Safety Analysis Initiative offers State and local agencies technical assistance and training in implementing the HSM; for additional information.HSM Training

FHWA HSM Training Courses
	Predictive method (video)
	Observed, Expected Predicted Crashes (video)
	Application of CMFs (video)
	Selecting a Method to Analyze Multiple CMFs (video)
	Applying a Method to Analyze Multiple CMFs (video)HSM Case Studies

HSM Related Tools

FHWA is promoting tools such as the HSM as part of its Every Day Counts Initiative: Data-Driven Safety Analysis.

AASHTOWare Safety AnalystTM implements many of the roadway safety management procedures included in Part B of the HSM.
	Spreadsheet Tools, including the Enhanced Interchange Safety Analysis Tool (ISATe) can be used to implement predictive methods found in Part C of the HSM for project specific designs.
	Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM)implements predictive methods found in Part C of the HSM for project specific designs.  The FREE software provides a visual user interface, graphical output, and the ability import computer aided drafting (CAD) files.
	Crash Modification Factors (CMF) Clearinghouse houses a web-based database of CMFs along with supporting documentation to help transportation engineers identify the most appropriate countermeasure for their safety needs.
	Quick-Start Guide to using CMFs
	Additional HSM Related Tools**Disclaimer: FHWA cities specific tools as examples, not as an endorsement of these tools over others.*

Additional Resources

HSM Information Contacts
	Resource
				Contact InfoAASHTO HSM Informationhttp://www.highwaysafetymanual.org
				Kelly Hardy, AASHTOkhardy@aashto.org
				202-624-5868FHWA Information, Support, and Technical Assistancehttp://www.highways.dot.gov/safety/data-analysis-tools/highway-safety-manual
				Matt Hinshaw
				FHWA – Office of Safetymatthew.hinshaw@dot.gov
				360-619-7677FHWA Resource CenterSafety and Design Team
				Derek Troyerderek.troyer@dot.gov
				202-510-7966NHI Training Informationhttp://nhi.fhwa.dot.gov
				FHWA-NHINHICustomerService@dot.gov
				703-235-0500AASHTOWare SafetyTM Informationhttps://www.aashtoware.org/products/safety/safety-overview
				Ryan, AASHTOrfragapane@aashto.org
				202-624-3632IHSDM Informationhttp://www.ihsdm.org
				In-Kyu Limin-kyu.lim@dot.gov
				202-493-3288CMF Clearinghouse Informationhttp://www.cmfclearinghouse.org
				Sarah Weissman Pascual
				FHWA – Office of Safetysarah.pascual@dot.gov
				202-366-0087Future HSM Development and Feedbackhttp://safetyperformance.org
				Richard Retting, TRBrretting@nas.edu
				202-334-2418
              
      
    
          Last updated: Thursday, February 1, 2024 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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