The Essential Eight: Fundamental Elements and Effective Steps for SHSP Implementation

This draft Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) implementation process model (IPM) is a collaborative effort among several states, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety, the FHWA Office of Planning, NHTSA, the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, and other stakeholders. It describes the fundamental elements and steps for SHSP implementation and was developed based on reviews of related plans and practices; interviews with SHSP stakeholders from six model states; and the knowledge and expertise of the project team. This draft IPM will be updated based on results of a pilot project and input from the review panel, with final publication expected by late spring 2010. Until then, this draft version is available, and all states are encouraged to use the information, ideas, and suggestions in it.

AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan

In 1998, AASHTO approved its Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which was developed by the AASHTO Standing Committee for Highway Traffic Safety with the assistance of the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Transportation Research Board Committee on Transportation Safety Management. The plan includes strategies in 22 key emphasis areas that affect highway safety. Each of the emphasis areas includes strategies and an outline of what is needed to implement each strategy.

The Art of Appropriate Evaluation

Targeted to state or local traffic safety project directors and managers with an interest in program evaluation, this guide covers what type of evaluation is reasonable for the different types of programs, how to maximize the success of a program evaluation and where to go for help. It also contains a glossary of some basic evaluation terms.

Highway Safety Grant Management Manual

Revised in January 2007, this manual is a compilation of governmental documents covering Section 402, SAFETEA-LU incentive grants, transfer funds, TEA-21 incentive funds, and other types of funding.

Highway Safety Program Guidelines

These guidelines offer direction to States in formulating their highway safety plans for highway safety efforts that are supported with section 402 and other grant funds.  The guidelines provide a framework for developing a balanced highway safety program and serve as a tool with which States can assess the effectiveness of their own programs.  NHTSA encourages States to use these guidelines and build upon them to optimize the effectiveness of highway safety programs conducted at the State and local levels.

Impaired Driving Guidebook

The Impaired Driving Subcommittee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has developed its Impaired Driving Guidebook: Three Keys to Renewed Focus and Success as part of its mission to provide recommendations to substantially reduce impaired driving traffic fatalities and injuries through enhanced enforcement. Produced in conjunction with NHTSA, GHSA, MADD and the National Sheriff's Association, the Guidebook is intended to serve as a resource to assist state, provincial, county, local and Tribal police executives and their agencies in strategically focusing on eliminating impaired driving.

Implementation Guide for the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety

The purpose of this guide is to help State and community organizations improve motorcycle safety by implementing relevant National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS) recommendations. NAMS is a comprehensive plan to improve United States motorcycle safety in the 21st century. Containing several recommendations, NAMS provides overall goals, but it does not contain specific action steps. This guide attempts to fill this gap by presenting more concrete strategies for achieving safety objectives.

Increasing Teen Safety Belt Use

The authors of the report undertook a comprehensive review of scientific literature, state and federal government reports and other sources of information to determine the magnitude of the teen safety belt use problem and to identify and summarize programs, interventions and strategies that can potentially increase safety belt use by teens. Specific strategies discussed include legislation, enforcement, combined efforts, technological approaches, peer-led approaches, counseling and parental involvement.

NCHRP Report 500: Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan

These are a series of guides to assist state and local agencies in reducing injuries and fatalities in targeted emphasis areas. The guides correspond to the emphasis areas outlined in the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan (see above). Each guide includes a brief introduction, a general description of the problem, the strategies/countermeasures to address the problem and a model implementation process.

State Highway Safety Documents

In SAFETEA-LU, Congress directed NHTSA to make publicly available, on its website, the following publications: State Highway Safety Plans, State Annual Reports and Management Reviews/Special Management Information. Click the link above to access the NHTSA web page containing links to these documents.