Midyear Meeting, June 18-21,2006 (Posted 4-18-06)
For details, to register, or to decline the invitation, please click on the link

HSM presentation (Posted 3-14-06)

Guidance on preparation of Highway Safety Manual chapters
(Posted 10-5-05)
The HSM Task Force presents below guidance on preparation of the first edition of the HSM.
Guidance on Preparation of the Highway Safety Manual     Subject to change

Guidance on styling of Highway Safety Manual chapters
(Posted 10-5-05)
The Task Force presents below the required styling document for use by contractors involved in preparing chapters for the First Edition of the HSM.
HSM chapter styling

Mid-Year Meeting Agenda (Posted 6-07-05)

Annual Meeting Agenda (Posted 12-29-04)

Annual Meeting Agenda (Posted 12-29-04)

17-27 Status Announcement (Posted 1-05-05)

Surrogate Safety Assessment Methodology Task C Software Design Report (Posted 1-05-05)

Surrogate Safety Assessment Methodology Task D Report: Theoretical Validation Work Plan (Posted 1-05-05)

The development of the Highway Safety Manual is under the auspices of the Transportation Research Board, a unit of The National Academies, and is under the direct purview of the Task Force for the Development of the Highway Safety Manual.

General Overview:      

What is the Highway Safety Manual?

Similar to the Highway Capacity Manual, the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) will serve as a useful tool for practitioners in helping them make decisions. The purpose of a HSM is to provide the best factual information and tools in a useful and widely accepted form and to facilitate roadway design and operational decisions based upon explicit consideration of their safety consequences. This manual would greatly strengthen the role of safety in road planning, design, maintenance, construction, and operations decision making. The report features:

• Synthesis of validated highway research
• Procedures that are adapted and integrated to practice
• Analytical tools for predicting impact on road safety

There is a significant need for improving the explicit role of highway safety in making decisions on roadway planning, design, maintenance, construction and operations. The states, and others responsible for the road system, do not currently have very useful tools for reflecting safety in their decisions. The result is a diminishing of the weight of safety considerations in these decisions. When difficult choices must be made, greater confidence is often taken in predictions of such factors as cost, operational impacts, and environmental impacts. Therefore, an effective resource is urgently needed which quantifies and predicts the safety performance of the variety of elements considered in road planning, design, maintenance, construction and operation.

When will it be made available?

The complete version of the HSM is anticipated to be released to the public in 2007. However, it is expected that several interim products may be made available prior to 2007. Please check the HSM Resources. for updates and availability of interim products.

How can I submit information for inclusion in the HSM?

Guidance for the preparation of materials to be considered for inclusion in the HSM are contained in Guidance for the Preparation of Chapters for the Highway Safety Manual. Specific Style information can be found in the HSM Chapter Styling Guide.

If you have any questions on these documents or other questions on submitting information for consideration in the HSM, please contact Ron Pfefer (Chair of the HSM Task Force) at rpfefer@compuserve.com or John Milton (Chair of the Content Subcommittee, led the preparation of the Guidance documents) at miltonj@wsdot.wa.gov; (206) 381-6423.

Learn more about the HSM

View the results of an initial survey that was conducted to gain feedback on the content, target audience and format of the HSM.

If you are interested in becoming an active participant in the development of the HSM, please complete a participation form and return it to Mike Dimaiuta.