Summary from: Roadway Safety Data Program | Collection and Use of Roadway Asset Data In Utah | FHWA-SA-14-078

Background

Quality data are the foundation for making important decisions regarding the design, operation, and safety of roadways. While crash data have been a consistent element of highway safety analysis, in recent years there has been an increased focus on the combination of crash, roadway, and traffic data to make more precise and prioritized safety decisions. The application of advanced highway safety analysis processes and tools requires a comprehensive inventory of roadway safety data combined with crash data to better identify and understand problems, prioritize locations for treatment, apply appropriate countermeasures, and evaluate the effectiveness of the those countermeasures. Comprehensive roadway safety data include information on roadway and roadside features, traffic operations, traffic volumes, and crashes.

Read the Case Study Collection and Use of Roadway Asset Data In Utah for more detailed information.