Highway Safety Information System (HSIS)
What is HSIS?
The HSIS is a multistate database that contains crash, roadway inventory, and traffic volume data for a select group of States. Download the HSIS brochure (PDF, 590 KB) to learn more.
To request data, you must create an account to place your request. Instructions to create an account are available in the first bullet. The second bullet has the link to sign up.
- Instructions to sign up with Jira Service Desk:
https://securedatacommons.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DESK/pages/2004189187/How-To+Sign+up+for+the+Service+Desk - Signup Link:
https://securedatacommons.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/user/login?destination=portals
HSIS data are used in a wide variety of research efforts. Products of these efforts include HSIS summaries, research reports, safety analysis tools, and published articles and technical papers in professional journals.
HSIS is a roadway based system that provides quality data on a large number of accident, roadway, and traffic variables. It uses data being collected by states for managing the highway system and studying highway safety.
There are numerous organizations and other entities in the United States that are working to make our roads safer. Links are provided to the web sites of these groups as well as links to additional sources of crash data.
The participating States were selected based on the quality and quantity of data available, and their ability to merge data from various files.

California | Illinois | Maine | Michigan | Minnesota |
Charlotte, NC | North Carolina | Ohio | Utah | Washington |
Realistic Artificial Datasets
The Exploratory Advanced Research Program developed realistic artificial datasets (RADs) so State and local agencies can further research in safety data, high-risk roadway features, and effects of proposed safety measures. Data-driven safety analysis models coupled with RADs can test different cause-and-effect relationships.
Excellence in Highway Safety Data Award
The Excellence in Highway Safety Data Award’s goal is to encourage university students to use HSIS data with the intent of introducing potential future highway safety professionals to good quality safety data, the application of appropriate research methods to derive recommendations, and the practice of using data to make decisions.
Updated Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT) Now Available
Pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non motorist road users account for a growing share of all US traffic fatalities in recent decades. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool version 3.0 (PBCAT v3) is an update to previous PBCAT applications to help road safety professionals improve their understanding of non motorist crashes. The application allows users to categorize their non motorist crashes and create a data set for analysis. PBCAT v3 works with most modern internet browsers and is free of charge to use.
Learn More
New Data Available
HSIS now has data available for all agencies through 2020, and some agencies are available through 2021. Data formats include GIS, as well as tabular datasets. Please check back regularly for recent updates to the HSIS data system.
FHWA recently completed two research studies that resulted in unique databases that may be utilized by other researchers for investigate additional safety issues.
Motorcycle Crash Causation
The Motorcycle Crash Causation database includes motorcycle crash data from 351 intensive post crash investigations and observations and interviews for 702 paired control cases. All data were collected in Orange County, California from 2011 to 2016.
Roadway Lighting
The Roadway Lighting database includes data collected as part of the project “Strategic Initiative for Evaluation of Reduced Lighting on Roadways” (FHWA Project DTFH61-13-D-00018). As part of the FHWA project, in situ lighting performance data were acquired on sample roadways in seven states including California, Delaware, Minnesota, North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
For more information or to request either of these databases, please contact Carol Tan, Safety Data and Analysis Team Leader, at carol.tan@dot.gov.