This synthesis document is intended to assist local highway agencies in planning and implementing safety improvements by presenting a number of practical and easy to use tools. The report presents reactive and proactive analysis tools for site selection, diagnosis, and countermeasure selection; recommendations for partnering with other agencies and organizations; economic analysis and priority ranking tools; software tools; other resources and references; and several others. Each of the tools within these categories was deemed to help initiate, manage, and maintain a safety program without making the process overwhelming and complex.

Each chapter focuses on a set of tools. The chapters contain details about the individual tools, as well as survey responses and literature summaries that support the selection of these tools for the purpose of this guide. The ultimate goal of the guide is to assist local agencies in developing a local safety improvement program for their jurisdiction. With funding and personnel, a local safety improvement program helps drive the implementation of safety improvements beyond just the most pressing concerns at the time. Appendices are provided with references to other tools and resources.

The following is a list of the categories and tools presented in this report:

1. Reactive Safety Tools
   1. Basic – High Crash Locations
   2. Advanced – Statistical Analysis
2. Proactive Safety Tools
   1. Basic – Road Safety Audit Review (RSAR)
   2. Advanced – Road Safety Audit (RSA)
3. Other Safety Tools
   1. Safety Study Data
   2. Local Partners
   3. Basic Intersection Countermeasures
   4. Professional Organizations
   5. Computer-Based Software
   6. World Wide Web
   7. Safety References
   8. Work Zone Safety
   9. Economic Analysis and Priority Improvement Tools
   10. Known Safety Improvements
   11. Emerging Research and Gaps in Knowledge
4. Developing a Local Safety Improvement Program