A Message from the FHWA Associate Administrator for Safety

The mission of the Federal Highway Administration is to enable and empower the strengthening of a world-class highway system that promotes safety, mobility, and economic growth, while enhancing the quality of life of all Americans. FHWA will work closely with our partners and stakeholders to continue our quest to eliminate traffic-related deaths on our Nation's highways and roads. To help guide us toward zero deaths, early last fall the agency issued the FHWA Strategic Plan FY2019-2022.

In addition to reiterating the agency's mission, the Strategic Plan outlines FHWA's values, strategic goals, and strategic objectives, aligning our efforts with the strategic goals for safety, infrastructure, innovation, and accountability in the FY 2018-2022 USDOT Strategic Plan. Developed to complement and support the USDOT Strategic Plan, the FHWA Strategic Plan also describes key programs, initiatives, and performance measures associated with each of the FHWA strategic goals and objectives.

At the Office of Safety, our highest priority goal is to reduce transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries across the transportation system, and this new plan will help us accomplish that as we continue to advance performance-driven highway safety management practices and further advocate for the deployment of innovative safety countermeasures. We will reach our goal by:

  • Doubling down on what works through proven, evidence-based strategies and solutions such as the new EDC-5 Reducing Rural Roadway Departures resources (see page 3) and the new tools for improving vulnerable road user safety (see page 5) and intersection safety (see page 12).
  • Advancing life-saving technology in vehicles and infrastructure, such as using connected and autonomous vehicles to reduce roadway departure crashes (see page 20) and using high-friction surface treatments to keep vehicles on the road (see page 10).
  • Prioritizing safety by adopting a safe systems approach and creating a positive safety culture (see page 9).

If you haven't yet reviewed the many resources that support State, local, Tribal, and other safety partners' efforts in these areas, I encourage you to do so today by reading the related stories on the pages referenced above. To learn more about FHWA's strategic goals, we invite you to download the new FY 2019-22 FHWA Strategic Plan.