Road Safety Audits

A road safety audit (RSA) is a formal safety performance examination by an independent, multidisciplinary team. RSAs are an effective tool for proactively improving the safety performance of a road project during the planning and design stages, and for identifying safety issues on existing transportation facilities.

To learn more about RSA, visit the FHWA Office of Safety’s Road Safety Audits website

Road Safety Audit Case Studies

In an effort to demonstrate the benefits of RSAs on Federal and Tribal lands, the FHWA sponsored a series of RSAs on Federal and Tribal facilities. The results of the RSAs have been compiled in case studies documents. Each case study includes photographs, a project description, a summary of key findings, and the lessons learned. The aim of these documents is to provide Federal Land Management Agencies and Tribal transportation agencies with examples and advice that can assist them in implementing RSAs in their own jurisdictions.

Road Safety Audit Toolkit

In order to advance implementation of RSAs on tribal and Federal lands, the FHWA Office of Federal Lands and FHWA Office of Safety partnered to develop the RSA Toolkit for Tribal Governments and FLMAs.

The toolkit is intended to assist tribal governments and FLMAs to use RSAs to address their safety issues. It provides information about identifying an RSA champion, building supportive partnerships, identifying available funding sources for an RSA program and improvements, outlining tools to conduct RSAs, and identifying resources to examine safety issues and select countermeasures.

The toolkit provides worksheets and other sample materials to facilitate parts of the RSA process - requesting assistance, scheduling an RSA, analyzing safety data, conducting field reviews, and documenting issues and suggestions. The toolkit also includes examples of programs and of similar agencies' experiences to highlight successes and struggles in implementing RSAs and improving safety for all road users.