EVALUATION OF HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM STANDARDS WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

The adequacy and appropriateness of the highway safety program standards within the purview of FHWA are evaluated. The standards are No. 9, Identification and Surveillance of Accident Locations, No. 12, Highway Design, Construction and Maintenance, No. 13, Traffic Engineering Services, and the engineering portion of No. 14, Pedestrian Safety. Information for the evaluation was provided by FHWA, state highway agencies, Governor's Highway Safety Representatives, counties, cities and private and public organizations. Alternative approaches to the existing three-plus standards were considered. The following key recommendations are made as the basis for enhancing highway safety: Existing three-plus standards be restated to include only those procedural elements related to the planning, development and evaluation of a comprehensive highway safety program; procedures and guidelines for selecting and implementing specific countermeasures be developed and distributed to Federal, state and local agencies; and new safety standards be directed to the areas of accident reporting and records, safety improvement planning and programming, design construction, maintenance, and operations, manpower and evaluations. /Author/