Massachusetts Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Highway fatalities and serious injuries are at unacceptably high levels in the United States. In Massachusetts, the number of fatal crashes has steadily increased since 1998 (with the exception of 2001) so that the number of fatal crashes in 2004 was more than 18% higher than in 1998. In an effort to reverse this trend and to reduce severe injury and fatal crashes, each state is required to prepare a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) under SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users).

The purpose of an SHSP is to identify the State's key safety needs and guide investment decisions to achieve significant reductions in highway fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. The SHSP brings together all highway safety partners in the State and draws on their strengths to align and leverage resources to collectively address the State's safety challenges. The most important benefit of an SHSP is that statewide goals and safety programs are coordinated to most effectively reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.

An SHSP provides a comprehensive framework, and specific goals and objectives, for reducing highway fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. This statewide document, to be developed by the Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) in a cooperative process, includes input from public and private safety stakeholders. The SHSP is a data-driven, comprehensive plan that integrates the four E's - engineering, education, enforcement and emergency medical services (EMS). The SHSP establishes statewide goals, objectives, and key emphasis areas developed in consultation with Federal, State, local, and private sector safety stakeholders. For more information on SHSPs, go to http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/toc.htm.