MANAGING HIGHWAY SAFETY--RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRENGTHENING HIGHWAY SAFETY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN STATES AND LOCALITIES

The current environment of state and local highway safety program management is analyzed, and ways in which the management practices of these programs can be strengthened are defined. Based on these findings, a series of model solutions (organizational and programmatic recommendations) were to be developed for broad application to state and local management practices under current environmental circumstances. Three major organization levels were examined: the state highway safety agency (SHSA), usually headed by the governor's highway safety representative; local highway safety agencies; and the private sector, including non-governmental agencies. Major findings at the state level were that: political support for highway safety is low; state responsibilities for highway safety are decentralized; leadership by state highway safety agencies varies significantly; and planning and evaluation techniques are still in the development stage. At a local level, it was found that: the national highway safety program has had limited impact, primarily in the area of providing specific project funds to sustain and enhance existing local highway safety units; many effective local highway safety units have actually been private sector organizations, such as safety councils; local highway safety management units have, for the most part, a narrow program focus, such as police-traffic services or public information, and are extremely limited in professional capability; at the local level, highway safety is considered a minor problem, in comparison to other problems. Model management solutions at the state level were as follow: the SHSA should be established as a leadership element in the state government, for the purpose of improving safety program political visibility, promoting safety legislation, influencing departmental support and funding, initiating local level efforts, and fostering coordinative private sector activity; the SHSA should establish a state level planning process and be responsible for its coordination; the highway safety agency should interrelate SHSA activities with other departments, fostering project development and program planning at all levels. At the local level

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association, Incorporated.
• Corporate Authors:

  Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Company

  1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Publication Date: 1974-8

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 115 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway safety; Laws; Local government agencies; Politics; Private enterprise; Safety; State government
• Uncontrolled Terms: Local agencies; Programs
• Old TRIS Terms: Safety practices
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00144233
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 15 1977 12:00AM