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FHWA Highway Safety Programs

Target Setting Resources

Overview

The documents below contain information related to setting safety targets.

  • Safety Performance Target Setting: State of the Practice Report [PDF]

    This report documents the results from a research study to better understand State safety performance target setting practices and how States are integrating these practices into project planning and programing. [July 2023, FHWA-SA-23-016]

  • Safety Performance Target Setting: State of the Practice Webinar Recording [YouTube]

    This webinar provides an overview of the Safety Performance Target Setting: State of the Practice Report [FHWA-SA-23-016].

  • Safety Performance Management Target Setting Communication Plan and Toolkit [PDFHTML]

    This communication plan and toolkit will assist State DOTs and MPOs in communicating why safety performance targets are being established, which stakeholders are affected (either directly or tangentially), and how they can be involved in helping establish the targets or in target achievement. [April 2018, FHWA-SA-18-006]

  • Safety Target Coordination Final Report [PDF]

    This report documents best practices for safety target setting processes identified via interviews conducted in Fall 2015 and workshops conducted in Spring 2016 with State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and State DOT safety and planning staff. This report provides information and best practices to assist State Departments of Transportation, SHSO, and MPOs with coordination as they set Federally required safety targets. [September 2016, FHWA-SA-16-101]

  • Technical Guidance to Support Local Computation of VMT-based Safety Performance Targets [PDFHTML]

    States are expected to use Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data to furnish the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) denominator for the safety rate metrics. However, using HPMS data at the MPO level is not directly possible. This document provides guidance and a listing of technical resources that MPOs may find helpful for computing VMT. [March 2016]