The Highway Safety Manual (2010), 1st Edition, was published by AASHTO in 2010. The HSM provides the best factual information and tools in a useful form to facilitate roadway planning, design, operations, and maintenance decisions based on precise consideration of their safety consequences. The primary focus of the HSM is the introduction and development of analytical tools for predicting the impact of transportation project and program decisions on road safety. The AASHTO Standing Committee on Highway Traffic Safety has established a goal to institutionalize the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual (HSM) and its associated analytical tools to make data-driven decisions, advance the science of safety, and to ultimately reduce fatalities and serious injuries. One proposed action in support of that goal is to establish and maintain an HSM Implementation Transportation Pooled-Fund Study.

The objectives of the study are (1) to advance ongoing efforts by lead states to implement the HSM, and (2) to expand implementation to all states. This study would be coordinated with other ongoing and planned implementation activities sponsored by AASHTO, FHWA, and TRB, including NCHRP Project 17-50 "Lead States Initiative for Implementing the Highway Safety Manual" It will also be coordinated with projects that develop content for future editions of the HSM including NCHRP Project 17-45 "Enhanced Safety Prediction Methodology and Analysis Tool for Freeways and Interchanges" NCHRP Project 17-54 "Consideration of Roadside Features in the Highway Safety Manual" and Transportation Pooled-Fund Study TPF-5(099) "Evaluation of Low Cost Safety Improvements."

This study would conduct research tasks and develop products that would enable States to accelerate their implementation of the HSM. The specific tasks and products would be identified and prioritized by a Technical Working Group consisting of one representative each from participating agencies. Specific tasks may include: (1) developing a calibration manual to accompany the HSM that provides practical advice and examples on how best to adapt HSM calibration procedures to meet the needs of a particular agency, (2) developing technical guidance for agencies on developing safety performance functions, and (3) developing guidance for agencies on assembling and managing the data needed for safety analyses. The study would also facilitate Technical Working Group representatives participation in peer exchanges and other forums through which agencies can exchange information, best practices, lessons learned, and remaining challenges in implementing the HSM appropriately into agencies¿ system planning, project planning and preliminary engineering, design and construction, and operations and maintenance procedures and processes. These exchanges would feed an annual process through which the Technical Working Group identifies and prioritizes future tasks to be conducted under the study.

A minimum participation level of 10 States is requested. The recommended level of contribution is $20,000 per year per agency for each of 4 years.