Long-Term Stewardship of Safety Data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Letter Report: May 3, 2013

On May 3, 2013, TRB’s Committee on the Long-Term Stewardship of Safety Data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) sent its first letter report to Victor Mendez, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; David Strickland, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and Bud Wright, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

The letter report provides advice on the future administration of data now being collected as part of SHRP 2’s safety research program. The report highlights the importance of an effective and rapid transition from data collection to widespread data use by researchers, and includes recommendations related to transition planning in anticipation of the time when SHRP 2 comes to an end in 2015.

The committee that produced the report recommends a phased approach to the administration of the data, rather than entering into long-term agreements at this time based on insufficient information. The report discusses ownership, governance, and operation of the data during a first phase lasting about five years. As part of phase 1 planning and implementation to gain practical experience to inform long-term decision making, the committee recommends that potential user groups be identified, that rigorous estimates of cost elements for long-term implementation be obtained, and that evaluation criteria and a process for collecting lessons learned be established in ways that are not overly burdensome.