Performance Goals

Index | Statement from the Administrator | Overview | Performance Goals | Miscellaneous

Vehicle Safety | Behavioral Safety | Environmental Stewardship

BEHAVIORAL SAFETY

This request would allow DOT to reduce highway fatalities by developing effective countermeasures that emphasize the benefits of occupant restraints, the risk of impaired driving, and the need to adhere to traffic safety laws and encourage more responsible driving behavior on the Nation's roadways, avoiding loss of life or serious injuries due to traffic crashes.

Behavioral Safety Summary
(Dollars in Thousands)

1 In FY 2004, funding displayed in brackets is included in the FHWA appropriation.

FY 2005 HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHWAY SAFETY

• Impaired Driving Program — Support one intense national enforcement mobilization and other State-initiated mobilizations with best practice demonstrations, legislative analyses and tracking, law enforcement training, repeat offender tracking, and Drug Recognition Expert data demonstrations. Emphasize key components of the new agency strategic plan for reducing impaired driving, including high visibility law enforcement, improvements in DWI prosecution and adjudication, and medical screening for alcohol abuse problems. Expand outreach utilizing the social marketing approach to influence high-risk populations.
• Occupant Protection Program — Maintain focus on biannual enforcement mobilizations, evaluating targeted youth enforcement and education strategies, and developing approaches for reaching high-risk groups and environments such as diverse populations and rural drivers. Continue to implement the TREAD booster seat education campaign and develop methods for continuing gains in child safety seat use.
• Pedestrian, Bicycle and Motorcycle Safety — Develop high visibility, community–based, pedestrian safety initiatives; implement innovative law enforcement strategies; and leverage pedestrian safety with livability initiatives. Collaborate with national partners on motorcycle and bicycle safety policy and programs.
• Enforcement and Justice Services — Focus on driving while intoxicated (DWI) adjudication and supervision (prosecutors and DWI courts), demonstrate effective countermeasure programs, provide national leadership in working with enforcement and criminal justice partners, including licensing authorities, on impaired driving, occupant protection, and other serious traffic safety issues.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) — Continue to provide technical assistance to States and national organizations to implement the outcomes from the National EMS Agenda , including EMS education, research, wireless E 9-1-1, national EMS data, performance measurement, and EMS workforce analysis and development.
• Highway Safety Research — Focus on impaired driving and occupant protection and continue efforts to reduce crashes by young drivers, older drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and speeding and aggressive driving.
• Traffic Records, Driver Licensing & Driver Education — Improve timeliness, accuracy, completeness, and accessibility of State Transportation Safety Information System data and advance standardized driver licensing procedures and testing, including enhanced uniform identification practices.
• National Driver Register (NDR) — Increase capacity and improve efficiency of the national data base to assist States in processing individual drivers licenses by identifying drivers whose licenses are denied, suspended, or revoked for serious traffic offenses. Test improved technology and begin research into a Nationwide all driver licensing system to reduce traffic deaths and injuries.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

• Human Performance — Conduct driver-vehicle safety research related to driving performance, driver workload demands, driver distraction issues, the safety impact of in-vehicle devices, and research in driver alertness and driver workload management.
• Driver Simulator — Conduct research to examine a variety of important issues, including driver distraction (use of advanced technology), the effects of prescription drugs, and alcohol on impaired drivers (under conditions of task and environmental demand, and fatigue), utilizing the National Advanced Driving Simulator.

HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANTS

• Section 402 State & Community Highway Safety Program — Provide a three-part grant program comprised of 1) Basic Formula Funds, 2) Impaired Driving Initiative Funds, and 3) Performance Incentive Funds. States use these funds to support performance-based highway safety programs focused on achieving national safety goals. Included are primary safety belt law enforcement grants that will be awarded to States that adopt primary safety belt laws or meet or exceed 90 percent safety belt use rate.
• Traffic Records/Data Improvement Program — Provide incentive grants to the States to support highway safety data improvement activities.
• Emergency Medical Services Grant Program — Provide grants to assist States in developing comprehensive wireless emergency access and response systems.