State Safety Performance Target Assessments Now Available for CY 2023

FHWA has completed the State safety performance target assessments for calendar year (CY) 2023, which is based on the five-year rolling average for 2019 to 2023. This year represents the sixth cycle of States setting safety performance targets and of FHWA assessing those targets to determine if States either met the target established or made significant progress. A State is determined to have met or made significant progress toward meeting their safety performance targets when at least four out of the five targets are either met or the actual outcome for the target is better than the baseline performance, which is the five-year rolling average for 2017 to 2021.

In CY 2023, 18 States (35%) met or made significant progress toward meeting their safety performance targets as compared to 14 States (27%) in 2022. Conversely, in CY 2023, 34 States (65%) did not meet or make significant progress toward their safety performance targets as compared to 38 States (73%) in 2022. In accordance with 23 U.S.C. 148(i), States that did not meet or make significant progress must complete and submit a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Implementation Plan and use their Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding (equal to the HSIP apportionment in FY 2022) only for safety projects. Table 1 below, provides a summary of the States CY 2023 safety performance target assessments results.

The results of the CY 2023 safety performance target assessments are available on FHWA’s Transportation Performance Management (TPM) website. The website provides a glimpse into each State’s safety performance targets, which represent annual performance levels as we all work toward the long-term goal of zero fatalities. The website also displays historical data; projected safety performance targets through 2025; information on how States establish each of their safety performance targets, which is taken verbatim from the State’s HSIP annual report; and a summary of the safety performance target assessment determination results. The website includes the results for the 2019 through 2023 safety performance target assessments.

In comparing the last six safety performance target assessments from 2018 through 2023, there has been one State that has met or made significant progress for all six years and 14 States that have not met or made significant progress for all six years. Table 2 below, provides a comparison summary of the States CY 2018 through CY 2023 safety performance target assessments results.

The TPM website also includes a link on each State page to download all of the State data in one file. Each State uses their own State-specific methodology when establishing annual safety performance targets. For this reason, it is difficult to draw conclusions about a State’s safety program based solely on the assessment data, as it does not reflect each State’s unique approach. For example, some States may have set aggressive targets and did not meet those targets, while other States may have set more attainable targets and met those targets.

Road safety is a collective effort involving everyone who designs, builds, manages, and uses the transportation system. Together, we will bend the curve toward reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Directions: Click on a State to view their safety performance targets and target assessment summary.
 

Supplementary Information

An 'X' indicates that the State did not meet or make significant progress and a 'blank' indicates that the State did meet or made significant progress.