Transportation Performance Management

State Highway Safety Report (2022) - Rhode Island

The following provides a summary of the Highway Safety Improvement Program's (HSIP) safety performance measures and State safety performance targets. As per 23 CFR 490.209(a), States are required to set annual safety performance targets in the HSIP annual report for the number of fatalities, rate of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), number of serious injuries, rate of serious injures per 100 million VMT, and number of non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries. The safety performance targets are based on 5-year rolling averages. States have the flexibility to use the methodology they deem most appropriate when establishing safety performance targets. FHWA encourages States to review data sets and trends and consider factors that may affect targets. The safety performance targets should be data-driven, realistic, and attainable and should align with the performance management framework and legislative intent.

A State Department of Transportation (DOT) has met or made significant progress towards meeting its safety performance targets when at least four of the five safety performance targets established under 23 CFR 490.209(a) have been met or the actual outcome is better than the baseline performance. The baseline performance is the 5-year average ending with the year prior to the establishment of the target.

The Basis for Target and Additional Comments are provided by the State in their HSIP Annual Report and have not been edited by FHWA. Any questions about individual State reports should be directed to the respective State DOT. For additional information about each State's HSIP, the complete reports are available at https://highways.dot.gov/safety/hsip/reporting.

More information and resources on Safety Performance Management are available at https://highways.dot.gov/safety/hsip/spm/safety-performance-management-safety-pm-overview.

All State data used to populate the State Highway Safety Reports for 2022 are available for download at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/reporting/state/tpm_dashboard_data.zip.

• 

  Number of Fatalities

• Number of Fatalities	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
  Annual	51	84	59	57	67	63	52
  5-Year Average					63.6	66.0	59.6
  Target (5-Year Average)							67.0	63.0	59.6

• Basis for Number of Fatalities Target

  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target
  • 2024 Target

  Given the impact that the pandemic seems to be having on driver behavior and roadway fatalities, the 2021 fatality projection appears to put meeting the 2020 baseline out of reach. The selected target reflects that 2021 is projected to be a high year and that 2022 should begin a downward trend.

  Rhode Island has experienced decreases in fatalities in 2021 and looks to be continuing this decrease in fatalities in 2022. Additionally, the RIDOT is continuing to support behavioral countermeasures and developing low-cost risk-based systemic projects that will target high-risk locations.

  Unfortunately, Rhode Island is in the midst of a sharp increase in fatalities in 2023. As such, Rhode Island does not think it is realistic to achieve a 2024 target lower than baseline. To achieve a maintain target, Rhode Island is expected to achieve a fatality total in the 40s in 2024, only achieved once in the last two decades.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Fatalities: 2016-2021 Final FARS, 2022 FARS Annual Report File
  Targets: 2021-2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Fatality Rate (per 100 million VMT)

• Fatality Rate (per 100 million VMT)	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
  Annual	0.64	1.05	0.74	0.75	0.98	0.84	0.69
  5-Year Average					0.832	0.872	0.800
  Target (5-Year Average)							0.880	0.830	0.788

• Basis for Fatality Rate Target

  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target
  • 2024 Target

  This rate is calculated based on the 2022 VMT projection and above fatality target.

  Rhode Island has experienced decreases in fatalities in 2020 and 2021 and looks to be continuing this decrease in fatalities in 2022. RIDOT anticipates the planned safety activities will help counteract potential increases in fatalities which may be correlated with the projected increase in 2022 and 2023 vehicle-miles traveled.

  This fatality rate assumes constant VMT and the fatalities required to meet the 2024 target. This combination reduces the fatality rate as a result of planned safety projects.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Fatalities: 2016-2021 Final FARS, 2022 FARS Annual Report File
  VMT: 2016-2022 FHWA Highway Statistics Series, VM-2 Table
  Targets: 2021-2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Number of Serious Injuries

• Number of Serious Injuries	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
  Annual	407	322	313	308	272	279	274
  5-Year Average					324.4	298.8	289.2
  Target (5-Year Average)							292.0	301.0	280.0

• Basis for Number of Serious Injuries Target

  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target
  • 2024 Target

  Despite the unusual shifts in fatality trends observed during the pandemic, serious injuries continue to trend downward, an indication that behavioral and engineering countermeasures are reducing the severity of crashes. The current serious injury projection for 2021 is notably lower than historic values.

  2021 was the first year in a long time Rhode Island experienced an increase in suspected serious injuries. However, early data for 2022 indicate this increase may be an aberration and Rhode Island will continue to decrease serious injuries through proposed education and enforcement campaigns as well as infrastructure projects.

  Rhode Island has continued to see a decline in serious injuries and has set a target of continuing this decline.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Serious Injuries: 2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Report
  Targets: 2021-2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Rate of Serious Injuries (per 100 million VMT)

• Rate of Serious Injuries (per 100 million VMT)	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
  Annual	5.13	4.02	3.91	4.06	3.96	3.71	3.64
  5-Year Average					4.216	3.932	3.856
  Target (5-Year Average)							3.785	3.944	3.675

• Basis for Serious Injury Rate Target

  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target
  • 2024 Target

  This rate is calculated based on the 2022 VMT projection and above serious injury rate.

  The projected decrease in serious injuries and increase in vehicle-miles traveled will result in a reduction in the serious injury rate in Rhode Island.

  Rhode Island has continued to see a decline in serious injuries and has set a target of continuing this decline. This decline will also produce a reduction in the rate of serious injuries.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Serious Injuries: 2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Report
  VMT: 2016-2022 FHWA Highway Statistics Series, VM-2 Table
  Targets: 2021-2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Number of Non-Motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries

• Number of Non-Motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
  Annual	73	97	61	71	83	68	60
  5-Year Average					77.0	76.0	68.6
  Target (5-Year Average)							75.0	72.0	68.0

• Basis for Number of Non-Motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries Target

  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target
  • 2024 Target

  The current non-motorized fatality and serious injury projection for 2021 is notably lower than historic values. The proposed target shows progress against the baseline while recognizing that historically, nonmotorized user exposure and incidents are highest during warm weather months yet to come.

  Rhode Island has experienced notable fluctuations in non-motorist fatalities and serious injuries. However, recent years have pointed towards small, steady reductions in these injuries.

  Rhode Island has experienced notable fluctuations in non-motorist fatalities and serious injuries. However, recent years have pointed towards small, steady reductions in these injuries.
  Attached is the FFY 2024 Safety Performance Measure Target Setting Memo.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Fatalities: 2016-2021 Final FARS, 2022 FARS Annual Report File
  Serious Injuries: 2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Report
  Targets: 2021-2023 Rhode Island HSIP Annual Reports

Additional Comments

2023 Comments:

Attached is the FFY 2023 Safety Performance Measure Target Setting Memo.

Safety Performance Target Assessment

PLEASE NOTE: Each State’s safety performance target assessment is based on its own State-specific target methodology and program philosophy. Therefore, conclusions should not be drawn based only on the information in the Safety Performance Target Assessment Summary table. For example, the State may have set aggressive targets, and not met those targets, while another State may have set more easily attainable targets, and met those targets. FHWA understands that each State’s safety program is unique and therefore does not prescribe a methodology for States to set targets. States have the flexibility to use the methodology they deem most appropriate when setting their safety performance targets.