An SMS is a systematic process with the goal of reducing the number and severity of traffic crashes by ensuring that all opportunities to improve highway safety are identified, considered, implemented as appropriate, and evaluated in all phases of highway planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation and by providing information for selecting and implementing effective highway safety strategies and projects. The development of the SMS may be based on the guidance in “Safety Management Systems: Good Practices for Development and Implementation.”[3] An effective SMS should include, at a minimum:
(a) Communication, coordination, and cooperation among the organizations responsible for the roadway, human, and vehicle safety elements;
(b) A focal point for coordination of the development, establishment, and implementation of the SMS among the agencies responsible for these major safety elements;
(c) Establishment of short- and long-term highway safety goals to address identified safety problems;
(d) Collection, analysis, and linkage of highway safety data;
(e) Identification of the safety responsibilities of units and positions;
(f) Public information and education activities; and
(g) Identification of skills, resources, and training needs to implement highway safety programs.