This report is a summary of the findings of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) scanning team that visited Australia and New Zealand from October 21 to 31, 1996, for the purpose of a follow-up scanning review on highway safety audits. The objective of the document is to provide an overview of the organization and application of road safety audits. It is not the purpose of the report to serve as a handbook or guide for using road safety audits; it is a collection of observations that describe the applications of the process, the framework in which audits are applied, and the policy context in which audits are conducted. Examples and brief descriptions of audits are also presented. Part 2 of this report is a separate volume that contains examples of actual safety audits and specific safety audit procedures and checklists. This report, Part 1, is presented in five main sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Overview of Countries and Safety Organizations; (3) The Road Safety Audit Process; (4) Summary of Scanning Team Findings; and (5) Strategies for Advancing Road Safety Audits in the United States.