HSIS Brochure - January 2011

Many elements go into ensuring the safety of our highways, from program policy decisions to roadway and traffic design. To assist safety analysts, researchers, and others involved in the study of highway safety, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) operates and maintains, the Highway Safety Information System (HSIS).

HSIS is a roadway-based system that provides quality data on a large number of accident, roadway, and traffic variables. It uses data already being collected by States for managing the highway system and studying highway safety. The data are acquired annually from a select group of States, processed into a common computer format, documented, and prepared for analysis.

HSIS is used in support of the FHWA safety research program and provides input for program policy decisions. HSIS is also available to professionals conducting research under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, universities, and others studying highway safety.