The need for a highway safety manual that contains the latest quantitative methods and would serve as an authoritative document for estimating safety impacts was first determined in 1999 at a workshop sponsored by eight Transportation Research Board committees and funded by the Federal Highway Administration. This article outlines the activities that have been completed and that are underway to develop the contents of the first edition of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), the review completed to date to establish the current level of quantitative safety knowledge, and the next steps for HSM development. Content development is underway through several National Cooperative Highway Research Program projects that are scheduled for completion by 2007. The results of these projects will be compiled in one document, with the first edition of HSM scheduled for publication in 2008. When completed, the HSM will be a comprehensive source for predicting the safety implications of transportation decisions related to design, operations, cyclists and pedestrians.
Abstract