The assessment is based on studies done in 10 states, one in each NHTSA Region: Connecticut (Region 1), New Jersey (Region 2), Pennsylvania (Region 3), North Carolina (Region 4), Ohio (Region 5), New Mexico (Region 6), Kansas (Region 7), Colorado (Region 8), Nevada (Region 9), and Washington (Region 10). The assessment covers the period from 1980 through 1993 and focuses on the Federal highway safety program of formula and incentive grants (Sections 402, 408, 410 and 153 of the Highway Safety Act). These 10 states account for almost 22 percent of the Federal highway safety grant funding and represent geographic prgrammatic and management variety. In the early 1980's, NHTSA undertook rulemaking to establish the priority areas where funding was to be concentrated to address the most severe highway safety problems. The assessment looked at these priority areas which include: impaired driving, occupant protection, policy traffic services, traffic records, emergency medical services, motorcycle safety and pedestrian and bicycle safety. Speed control was added after the completion of the assessment as a separate priority area. In the assessment, speed control is included as part of police traffic services. The assessment addressed the following questions about how Federal grants were used: (a) were projects focused on major safety problems ?; (b) were new programs initiated with Federal grant ?; (c) Did Federal grant lead to participation by state, community and private entities ?; (d) were projects started at one or more sites replicated elsewhere ?; (e) were concepts and technology developed with Federal funds used ?; (f) what would be the consequences of removing Federal grants from the program ?; and (g) were projects monitored or evaluated ? The principal findings of the report are: (i) the planning process for states to obtain Federal funds has helped assure that state highway safety programs receiving grants are focused on major safety problems; (ii) the Federal grant programs have achieved Congressional intent. Federal grants, amounting to less than two percent of total spending, have acted as seed money to initiate solutions to resolve highway safety problems and leveraged other funding; and (iii) federal leadership and resources have helped states to maintain programs addressing the most important issues. (A)
Samenvatting