Skip to content

Safety

Safety

Safety is a key component of the federal performance-based planning process. FHWA published the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Final Rule and Safety Performance Management Measures Final Rule on March 15, 2016 (effective date of April 14, 2016) to help significantly reduce fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.

The safety performance measures in the table below were established as part of the Safety Performance Management Measures Final Rule. State DOTs and MPOs are required to establish safety performance targets annually for each measure. State DOTs must adopt targets by August each year and MPOs have 180 days from the date the State DOT’s targets are set to establish their targets (MPO targets must be set no later than the following February). MPOs can either support the State DOT’s targets or develop their own targets.

NCDOT adopted its 2021 (current) safety targets in August 2020. CRTPO supported the NCDOT targets in February 2021. NCDOT’s calendar year (CY) 2021 safety targets are shown in the table below:

Performance MeasuresNCDOT
(CY) 2021 Targets
NCDOT
Adoption Date
CRTPO
Adoption Date
Number of fatalities1,309.9August 2020February 2021
Fatality rate (per 100 million VMT)1.105 August 2020 February 2021
Number of serious injuries3,656.1 August 2020 February 2021
Serious injury rate (per 100 million VMT)3.065 August 2020 February 2021
Number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries504.4 August 2020 February 2021
2021 Safety Targets Table
Performance MeasuresNCDOT
2020 Targets
NCDOT
Adoption Date
CRTPO
Adoption Date
Number of fatalities1,227.8August 2019February 2020
Fatality rate (per 100 million VMT)1.084August 2019February 2020
Number of serious injuries2,812.8August 2019February 2020
Serious injury rate (per 100 million VMT)2.462August 2019February 2020
Number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries426.6August 2019February 2020
2020 Safety Targets Table

Previous year targets can be viewed here.

As part of the Safety Performance Management Measures Final Rule, State DOTs are required to update their Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) every five years. An SHSP is a statewide-coordinated safety plan that identifies a State’s key safety needs and guides investment decisions toward strategies and countermeasures with the most potential to save lives and prevent injuries.

NCDOT’s current SHSP was developed in 2019. CRTPO coordinates with NCDOT on the development of this plan.

State DOTs report safety targets annually in their State Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Reports. NCDOT’s HSIP Report can be found here. CRTPO coordinates with NCDOT on the development of this plan. CRTPO reports its safety targets to NCDOT annually via resolution.

FHWA assesses if State DOTs have made significant progress towards achieving their safety targets on an annual basis. The assessment begins in December and findings are reported to the DOT by March. Significant progress is made if the DOT has met four of its five targets or the actual outcome for the target is better than baseline performance.

If the State DOT does not meet or make significant progress toward meeting its targets, it must use obligation authority equal to the HSIP apportionment for the fiscal year (FY) prior to the target year (only for HSIP projects) and submit an HSIP Implementation Plan to FHWA. MPOs do not currently face repercussions if significant progress is not made toward meeting their targets.

In early 2020, FHWA completed an assessment of target achievement for NCDOT’s CY 2018 safety targets. Based on FHWA’s review, NCDOT has not met or made significant progress toward achieving its safety performance targets.