In addition, FHWA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) use vehicle-registration and driver-license data as part of overall safety analysis, including the evaluation of State-by-Stare highway programs. These evaluations help identify problems to which program emphasis should he given. The data are also important in evaluating the many Federal and State programs aimed at reducing drunk and drugged driving. Careful coordination with NHTSA ensures that the data needs of both agencies are met without duplication of data collection effort.

Highway Finance Data

Highway financial data are used to prepare the Secretary of Transportation report to Congress on the status of the Nation's Surface Transportation System including highway performance, condition, and needs. This report is required by law 23 U.S.C. 307(e). Data on State highway income, State highway expenditures, highway capital outlay and maintenance expenditures, and local highway finance are used in developing the finance portion of this report. The report also includes a detailed analysis of highway revenue and disbursement trends by jurisdiction, an examination of the effects of inflation on the highway dollar, trends in road-user versus non-user revenue by jurisdiction and a graphic depiction of inter governmental transfers of highway revenue. This information is used extensively to project State and local investment in future highway development.

On the expenditure side, trends in obligation by improvement type, functional system, and jurisdiction are included in the report. The information is distilled into a summary of financial trends and is used throughout the report in discussions of specific highway programs and systems. The biennial report to Congress, often termed the "needs report", has become a standard for documenting highway needs.


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Highway financial data are used to prepare the Secretary of Tninsportation's report to Congress on the status of the Nation's Surface Transportation System including highway performance, condition, and needs.