Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices, Ninth Edition, 2017

Richard, Christian M.; Magee, Kelly; Bacon-Abdelmoteleb, Paige; Brown, James L. · 2018 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

**Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices, Ninth Edition, 2017** addresses the need for evidence-based guidance to help State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) select effective traffic safety interventions. Sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and prepared by Battelle Memorial Institute, the guide serves as a reference tool for identifying countermeasures that reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities across nine major problem areas: alcohol- and drug-impaired driving, seat belts and child restraints, speeding, distracted and drowsy driving, motorcycle safety, young drivers, older drivers, pedestrian safety, and bicycle safety. The motivation for the ninth edition was to update previous versions with the latest research findings, incorporating data through May 2016 and 2015 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) statistics, while refining the presentation of countermeasure effectiveness. The methodology involves a comprehensive review of published research to evaluate specific behavioral countermeasures. The guide excludes vehicle- or roadway-based solutions and administrative topics, focusing strictly on strategies supported by traditional highway safety grant programs. For each countermeasure, the authors summarize its use, effectiveness, costs, and implementation time. Effectiveness ratings are primarily based on demonstrated reductions in crashes, though behavioral changes are considered when crash data is unavailable. The guide distinguishes between highly effective countermeasures and those with less robust evidence, moving detailed descriptions of lower-rated measures to appendices to streamline the main text. It also references National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) guides and Cochrane Reviews to contextualize findings within broader transportation and healthcare literature. Key findings highlight significant trends in traffic safety, particularly regarding impaired driving. In 2015, alcohol-impaired driving accounted for 29% of motor vehicle fatalities, totaling 10,265 deaths, representing a 24% decline from 2006 levels. The guide notes that while alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have decreased, drug-impaired driving presents complex challenges due to limited data and the difficulty of linking drug presence to actual impairment. For instance, roadside surveys indicate that while THC detection rates have risen, adjusted crash risk analyses often show no statistically significant increase in risk when controlling for demographics and alcohol use. The guide identifies specific high-impact strategies, such as publicized sobriety checkpoints, primary enforcement seat belt laws, and graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems, which have shown substantial effectiveness in reducing crashes among young drivers. Conversely, it notes that some countermeasures, such as certain educational campaigns, lack strong evidence of effectiveness. The significance of this report lies in its role as a practical, science-based tool for policymakers and safety professionals. By synthesizing extensive research into actionable summaries, the guide enables SHSOs to allocate resources efficiently toward interventions with proven benefits. It emphasizes that implementation quality—vigorous enforcement, extensive publicity, and adequate funding—is critical to realizing the maximum potential of any countermeasure. The guide also underscores the importance of systematic data collection and evaluation to contribute to the collective knowledge pool, encouraging states to innovate while rigorously assessing new programs. Ultimately, it provides a structured framework for addressing behavioral traffic safety issues, bridging the gap between academic research and practical application in state highway safety programs.

Key finding

The guide provides a structured framework for selecting behavioral countermeasures by summarizing their effectiveness, costs, and implementation time across nine major highway safety problem areas.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Topics

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• driver education effectiveness
• regulatory evaluation
• dui enforcement
• public messaging
• seat belt use
• incidence prevalence

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation, policy recommendations
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence