The Need
Highway engineers and administrators are continually faced
with decisions concerning the design and operation of the highway system.
An important part of the decision-making process is the potential impact
on the safety of the highway users. Informed decision making requires
an understanding of how safety is affected by the geometric design of
the roadway, the selection and placement of roadside hardware, the use
of traffic control measures, the size and performance capabilities of
the vehicles, and the needs and abilities of the users. This understanding
can be developed through sound analysis of information about crashes,
roadway geometrics, traffic control devices, traffic volume data, and
the location of hardware and obstacles on the roadside. These data must
be present in computerized files and easily linked so that data can be
rapidly assembled and prepared for analysis.
A Solution - HSIS
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
has developed a highway safety database that can meet this need -
the Highway Safety Information System (HSIS).
The HSIS uses data already
being collected by States for the management of the highway system,
for the study of highway safety. The HSIS is a roadway-based system
that provides quality data on a large number of accident, roadway,
and traffic variables. The data are acquired annually from a select
group of States, processed into a common computer format, documented,
and prepared for analysis.
The HSIS can be used to analyze a large number
of safety problems. They can range from the more basic "problem
identification" issues
to identify the size and extent of a safety problem to modeling efforts
that attempt to predict future accidents from roadway characteristics
and traffic factors.
The HSIS is used in support of the FHWA safety research
program and as input to program and policy decisions. The HSIS is also
available to analysts conducting research under the National Cooperative
Highway Research Program, university researchers, and others involved
in the study of highway safety.
