Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan

The Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan (CHSP) grew out of an existing policy goal described in TranPlanMT, Montana's statewide long-range transportation plan to "Provide leadership and coordinate with other Montana agencies to improve traveler safety." Additional impetus in developing a strategic highway safety plan came from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), a bill that governs federal surface transportation spending.

The CHSP planning process establishes a comprehensive, multiagency framework that extends beyond MDT to address safety for all road users on all Montana roads. The CHSP process includes federal requirements while allowing flexibility in specific approaches for Montana. The CHSP maintains a five-year update cycle and establishes the target setting methodology for the national performance measures in compliance with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.

Subject matter experts representing the safety disciplines of the 5 Es of Transportation Safety - Education, Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services and Response, Engineering, and Evaluation - make up the Advisory Committee (AC). This group plays a vital role in both development and implementation. The development process involves analyzing safety data, identifying emphasis areas, determining appropriate strategies with consideration of the Safe System Approach to address transportation safety issues in areas of greatest need.

Implementation

Executive Leadership Team

Effective implementation of the CHSP requires engagement from the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), composed of agency directors and leading state organizations. Their leadership is essential for removing inter-agency barriers that hinder safety initiatives, improving roadway safety, reducing fatalities and serious injuries, and advancing Vision Zero. By collaborating and incorporating safety strategies into agency plans and policies, the ELT promotes safer roads and road users statewide. Role and responsibilities-

Provide leadership and collaboration on statewide highway safety needs.

Promote Vision Zero across agencies and organizations to normalize a safe traffic culture.

Incorporate common safety strategies and initiatives into agency plans and policies.

Identify issues and remove barriers within agencies that hamper progress of safety strategies.

Commit resources such as staff, time, funding to implement statewide driver and roadway safety initiatives.

Delegate appropriate staff to participate actively in the implementation of the CHSP.

Serve as Montana’s Statewide Impaired Driving Task Force as required by 23 C.F.R.§ 1200.23.

Approve the Impaired Driving Strategic Plan/CHSP Impaired Driving EA Implementation Work Plan and support the implementation of strategies and safety efforts.

Communicate changes in AC membership to ensure vacant positions from their organization

Advisory Committee

An Advisory Committee comprising of interdisciplinary safety partners representing the 5 Es of transportation safety—Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Emergency Medical Service, and Evaluation—provides guidance and direction throughout the development and implementation process. Committee members provide specialized knowledge in crash data analysis, safety engineering, behavioral interventions, enforcement, emergency response, stakeholder engagement, and communications.

Objectives

The MDT developed Montana's Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan in collaboration with other agencies and jurisdictions with roles in highway safety at the state, local and Federal levels as well as Montana's sovereign Tribal Nations. Under the oversight of a multi-agency CHSP Executive Leadership Team, the development of the CHSP addressed the following objectives:

Establish quantifiable safety-related goals, objectives, and performance measures relevant to travel on Montana's highways;

Address issues at all levels of jurisdiction with specific attention to local and tribal entities;

Establish a mechanism for interagency coordination and develop the necessary partnering processes;

Identify candidate safety strategies and evaluate their potential benefits, costs, and ability to attain performance objectives;

Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound action items to meet safety goals and objects.

Develop a strategic implementation plan, including action items for deployment in MDT's plans and programs as well as by other partnering agencies with roles in highway safety.

CHSP Purpose

Implementation

Executive Leadership Team

Advisory Committee

Objectives

Vision Zero

Resources

Safety Performance Measure Targets

Contact

MDT Locations

Agency Links

State Resources