California: Highway Safety Improvement Program 2021 Annual Report

NHTSA · 2021 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This document is the 2021 Annual Report for California’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in compliance with federal mandates under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The report addresses the program’s primary objective: achieving a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roadways through infrastructure-related safety improvements. It details the administrative structure, methodology, project implementation, and safety performance outcomes for the reporting year, while also outlining strategic shifts toward a "Safe System" approach and the integration of equity into safety planning. The HSIP is administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), with the Division of Safety Programs managing state highway systems and the Division of Local Assistance (DLA) overseeing local and tribal roads. Project identification relies on data from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Record System (SWITRS) and Caltrans’ Transportation System Network. The methodology employs both reactive strategies, targeting high-crash locations based on frequency and rate, and proactive systemic approaches that analyze roadway networks for inherent risks. Projects are prioritized through a competitive application process, often requiring a minimum Safety Index benefit-cost ratio of 2:1. Specific subprograms address bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, roadway departures, wrong-way driving, and crossover collisions. For local roads, the DLA utilizes the HSIP Analyzer tool to rank applications based on benefit-cost ratios and available funding, encouraging the use of low-cost, proven countermeasures. Key findings and strategic developments include the adoption of four guiding principles: integrating equity, implementing a Safe System approach, doubling down on proven countermeasures, and accelerating advanced technology. Caltrans issued policies to implement specific countermeasures, including rumble strips to reduce rural roadway departures, retroreflective backplates to improve visibility during power outages, and Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) to enhance pedestrian safety. The report notes that California did not meet or make significant progress on four of its five 2019 safety performance targets, necessitating the development of an HSIP Implementation Plan. This plan emphasizes increased stakeholder engagement, particularly with traditionally underserved populations, and the institutionalization of equity in safety strategies. Additionally, Caltrans adopted standardized crash terminology ("crash," "collision," "incident") to replace "accident" for greater accuracy. The significance of this report lies in its documentation of California’s transition toward a more holistic, data-driven, and equitable safety framework. By merging the High-Risk Rural Roads program into HSIP and adopting systemic safety reviews, Caltrans aims to expedite the delivery of safety projects and reduce the time required for planning and implementation. The integration of equity and the Safe System approach reflects a broader shift in transportation policy, moving beyond traditional Level of Service metrics to prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users. The report serves as a compliance document that also outlines the state’s strategic direction for achieving zero traffic fatalities, highlighting the importance of continuous improvement, stakeholder collaboration, and the application of proven safety countermeasures across both state and local road networks.

Key finding

California did not meet four out of five 2019 safety performance targets, prompting the development of an implementation plan focused on equity, the Safe System approach, and expedited project delivery.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource