This guide is part of a series of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guides, collectively entitled “A Manual for Local Rural Road Owners.” The Manual provides information related to various safety topics of interest to local road managers and other practitioners that are responsible for owning, designing, operating, and maintaining local rural roads. The topics are presented in a way that will not be overwhelming for most local agencies, and regularly includes definitions and reasoning when appropriate to reinforce the concepts.

This particular guide addresses common data collection and analysis techniques, as well as other processes, that can improve safety of local rural roads. All information is applicable to local agencies with any background or experience level. This guide will help agencies make data-driven decisions through the use of various resources, calculations, tools, and methods. Several case studies are included to illustrate examples of the use of safety analysis for local rural roads.

Existing crash data sources such as law enforcement crash reports, state crash databases, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), and hospital data are discussed. Necessary roadway and exposure data are also reviewed. The guide discusses how these data can be used to calculate crash frequency and rates for identifying locations for improvement. Crash severity and potential crashes can also be considered. Three main implementation approaches – systematic, spot location, and comprehensive – are presented for users, with guidance on which is appropriate in certain cases. Users can keep these in mind when selecting and programming countermeasures. The guide also reviews countermeasure evaluation techniques.