Setting Safety Performance Measures in Australia and New Zealand: Lessons for the United States

In August 2009, the Federal Highway Administration,
the American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials, and the National
Cooperative Highway Research Program conducted
an international scanning study of how transportation
agencies in Australia, England, New Zealand,
and Sweden use performance management to
demonstrate accountability and performance.
The U.S. scan team found many examples of
management strategies that used performance
measures to achieve improved performance and
hold agencies accountable for results. For example,
because improving highway safety is a top priority
for transportation agencies in the United States, the
scan team members were particularly interested in
learning more about how a common set of highway
safety measures and targets evolved, were established,
and are reported in Australia and New Zealand. The
Australian states and New Zealand have more than
10 years of experience in producing common highway
performance measures, including safety measures.
Their experience holds important lessons for U.S.
highway safety practitioners.
This followup report was developed by those agencies
in cooperation with Austroads, which is the association
of highway agencies in Australia and New Zealand.
It was written by Eric Howard and Associates in
Melbourne, Australia, in cooperation with Austroads.