Putting Safety Solutions to the Test

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) launched the Rural Safety Innovation Program in 2008 as a part of the United States Department of Transportation’s Rural Safety Initiative. The Rural Safety Innovation Program awarded funds to agencies to improve safety on rural highways. This article assesses nine highway safety improvement projects implemented as part of the program. Innovative technology, as well as well as signage and speed control devices, helped many departments of transportation. For further improvements, states can improve the quality of data linking crashes to roadway inventory, traffic volume, and safety treatments.