In 2019, 36,096 people died in traffic crashes in the 

Unites States. That same year, traffic crashes injured 

more than 2.7 million people.1 In 2020, the Highway 

Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) provided States 

more than $2.4 billion in Federal funds to address 

road safety challenges on all public roads, including 

non-State-owned roads and roads on Tribal land.2 

Focusing on performance, the HSIP takes a datadriven, strategic approach to improve highway safety.

ABOUT HSIP

FUNDING SAFETY PROJECTS

Every year, States receive an apportionment of HSIP funding for highway safety improvement projects that are 

consistent with the State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). Eligible projects must address a highway safety 

problem or correct/improve a hazardous road location/feature.3 Projects must also be identified on the basis of 

crash experience, potential, rate, or other data.4 For HSIP eligibility guidance, see https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/

rulemaking/docs/BIL_HSIP_Eligibility_Guidance.pdf.

HSIP in 2020

1 USDOT and NHTSA, "Traffic Safety Facts Annual Report Tables," https://cdan.dot.gov/tsftables/tsfar.htm#.

2 FHWA, "Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act or FAST 'Act'" (February 2016), https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/factsheets/hsipfs.cfm. The most recent year for crash data is 2019. Local and 

Tribal roadways are considered those with ownership category attribute codes 2, 3, 4, 12, 25, 32, 50, 62.

3 Per 23 U.S.C. 148(1)(4)(A).

4 Per 23 U.S.C. 148(c)(2)(B)(iv).

The Highway Safety Improvement Program—2020

Saving Lives with Data-Driven Decisions and Strategic Safety Planning

Zero Deaths

Many States and local communities 

are working to eliminate all traffic 

deaths and serious injuries. HSIP 

aids these efforts by helping States 

and local agencies be proactive 

in preventing severe crashes via 

systemic safety improvements that 

protect road users—even when they 

make mistakes.

FHWA-SA-22-018

States obligated more than $5.5 billion 

to more than 5,300 highway safety 

improvement projects. $

HSIP

70%of highway safety improvement 

projects fell into the following safety 

treatment categories: 

• roadway (24%)

• intersection traffic control (21%)

• roadside (12%)

• intersection geometry (12%)

35 States had roadway 

departure programs. 47 States had intersection improvement programs.

 States with roadway departure programs

 States with intersection improvement programs

68%of highway safety improvement 

projects occurred on roads owned by the 

State Department of Transportation. 

18

11

This information comes from 2020 State HSIP reports. For individual reports, visit https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/reports/.
Project Costs

THE ROAD TO HSIP FUNDING

SHSP

A local or State agency identifies a safety 

issue—such as frequent lane departure 

crashes—through such methods as site analysis, 

systemic safety analysis, and targeted studies.

About 34 percent of HSIP projects cost less than 

$100,000.

Among HSIP projects, State highway agency 

projects had the highest average total cost per 

project at $1.4 million. City or municipal highway 

agency projects had the second highest average 

at $900,000, and other local agency projects $had the third highest average at $600,000. 

SHSP

SHSP emphasis areas help 

identify problems, and datadriven safety analysis tools 

support network screening.

Performance measures and 

evaluations help track and improve 

SHSP implementation efforts.

SHSP

SHSP strategies support 

countermeasure selection.

Project prioritizations align 

with SHSP priorities and 

action plans.

Shoulder treatments, interchange designs, 

and roadside projects had the highest average 

cost per project ($0.9–$2.2 million). 

$$$

Projects are prioritized 

and put on State's 

HSIP project list to 

maximize lives saved.

The agency identifies countermeasures—

such as rumble strips—using sources such 

as FHWA proven safety countermeasures 

or Crash Modification Factors 

Clearinghouse (CMF).

SHSP

Highway safety 

improvement projects 

are consistent with 

the State's SHSP. SHSP

Project is evaluated to 

determine how effective 

the solutions were in 

improving roadway safety.

Project is 

programmed and 

scheduled on the 

State’s statewide 

transportation 

improvement 

program (STIP).

To find out how HSIP can help 

save lives in your community, 

contact your State DOT:

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

about/webstate.cfm

Project is 

designed, 

advertised, and 

constructed.

Of the HSIP projects with identified area types, 54 

percent were rural and 46 percent were urban. The 

average total cost of urban projects ($1.2 million) 

was higher than rural projects ($923,000).

Roadway signs and traffic controls, railroad crossings, 

and speed management projects had the lowest 

average cost per project ($200,000–$300,000).

$

Have an HSIP success story? Share your projects on 

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #HSIPSavesLives.