Behavioral Traffic Safety Program Manual: Program Area Strategies, Targets, and Performance Measures

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Section 4: Program Area Strategies, Targets, and Performance Measures

Overview

This section describes the process for identifying program areas, targets and strategies for inclusion in the Texas Highway Safety Plan (HSP).

Using the data and information gathered through the problem identification process, the State selects key program areas for emphasis and coordinates the development of priority traffic safety performance targets, performance measures, and strategies for each program area using a planning process documented in the HSP.

The TxDOT Traffic Safety Division-Behavioral Traffic Safety Section (TRF-BTS) coordinates the development of priority traffic safety strategies, targets, and objectives for each program area using a strategic planning process. These strategies and targets are carefully identified through the problem identification process. State and local agencies, as well as public and private organizations, then develop projects that can support and implement those strategies, which are then included in the annual HSP.

Program area performance measures are identified for each data-driven target and included in the annual performance plan. Program performance measures are changed and updated with each revision of the strategic plan, or more often, if required.

This section presents the overall state goal, followed by the strategies, targets, and program performance measures for each of the traffic safety program areas.

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Overall State Goal

The overall State goal is to identify traffic safety problem areas and programs to reduce the number and severity of traffic-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

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Program Area Targets, Performance Measures, and Strategies

Beginning with MAP-21, 15 performance measures developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in collaboration with the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and others, described in Traffic Safety Performance Measures for States and Federal Agencies (DOT HS 811 025), are required to be used as a minimum in developing the State’s performance measures and targets. These 15 measures include 11 core outcome measures, one core behavior measure, and three activity measures. Therefore, it is essential for TRF-BTS to examine each of the core measures as part of the initial problem identification process. The three activity measures must be reported annually. The outcome and performance measures are listed below:

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Outcome Measures:
- Fatalities (Fatality Analysis Reporting System [FARS]).
- Number of serious injuries (state crash file).
- Fatality rate per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) (FARS, FHWA).
- Number of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities, all seating positions (FARS).
- Number of fatalities involving driver or motorcycle operator with a .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) or above (FARS).
- Number of speed-related fatalities (FARS).
- Number of motorcyclist fatalities (FARS).
- Number of un-helmeted motorcyclist fatalities (FARS).
- Number of drivers age 20 or younger involved in fatal crashes (FARS).
- Number of pedestrian fatalities (FARS).
- Percent observed seat belt use for passenger vehicles – front seat outboard occupants (State survey).
- Number of bicycle fatalities (FARS).

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Activity Measures:
- Number of seat belt citations issued during grant-funded enforcement activities (grant activity reports).
- Number of impaired driving citations issued and arrests made during grant-funded enforcement activities (grant activity reports).
- Number of speeding citations issued and arrests made during grant-funded enforcement activities (grant activity reports).
Performance targets and performance measures have been developed for each program area that receives funding by TRF and incorporated in the development of the HSP.

Program areas outside of the GHSA-NHTSA core performance measures have also been included as sufficient justification for addressing those issues that have been established in the problem identification process and the appropriate performance measures that have been developed by TRF-BTS. These performance measures contain:
- Documentation of current safety levels.
- Quantifiable annual performance targets.
- Justification for each performance target that explains why the target is appropriate and data driven.
The strategies, targets and performance measures for each of the program areas can be found on in the Texas HSP. The Texas HSP provides the targets and strategies of the Texas Behavioral Traffic Safety Program and includes the most current status of the objectives for the strategies. Each project included in the annual HSP will address one or more of these targets or strategies. The most current Texas HSP can be found in the Manuals and Reports Section of the eGrants Help Page.