Intelligent Speed Assistance Guide for State Highway Safety Offices
Speeding remains one of the most persistent and deadly threats on U.S. roadways, accounting for more than 11,000 deaths in 2024, and 125,000 fatalities over the last decade. One promising countermeasure to help address speeding behavior is Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology, which uses real-time Global Positioning System (GPS) data to detect the speed limit and proactively alert (or limit) the driver if they are speeding, can reduce speeding and help promote long-term safe driving behaviors. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently documented a growing number of examples of ISA’s effectiveness at the local level. In New York City, a pilot program involving 500 fleet vehicles saw a 64% reduction in speeds substantially above speed limits. A District of Columbia school bus pilot logged 10,000 miles with zero speeding events. European research has shown that ISA can reduce crash risk and lessen the severity of injuries, particularly in areas with changing speed limits or heavy pedestrian activity. A 2019 policy report from the European Transport Safety Council estimated that ISA could cut road deaths across Europe by approximately 20%. Another study projected that equipping all vehicles with mandatory active ISA could reduce injury and fatal crashes by 20% and 37%, respectively. Given the potential for wide adoption of ISA to substantially reduce speeding-related fatalities and serious injuries, research is needed to identify ways for state highway safety offices (SHSOs) to advance the use of this technology. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a guide that supports efforts by SHSOs to: 1) Conduct comprehensive stakeholder assessment to identify which groups have the greatest need for education and which hold the most influence over its adoption. 2) Develop a core set of educational active ISA materials or leveraging materials available from other sources. 3) Ensure that SHSO staff have a strong foundational understanding of active ISA. Staff training should cover how active ISA works, its effectiveness as demonstrated in peer-reviewed research, relevant policy considerations and communication strategies tailored to different audiences. 4) Establish clear metrics and evaluation processes allows SHSOs to measure the effectiveness of educational initiatives and outreach efforts. 5) Engage with key stakeholders to advance pilot programs. 6.) Develop guidelines and implementation frameworks for pilot projects that help SHSOs evaluate and demonstrate effective strategies for modifying speeding behavior through ISA technologies, including recommendations on target driver populations, stakeholder coordination, public communication, data collection, performance measures, privacy considerations, and evaluation methodologies to support broad adoption.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Proposed
- Funding: $400,000.00
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Contract Numbers:
BTS-49
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Sponsor Organizations:
Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001Governors Highway Safety Association
444 N. Capitol Street, NW, Suite 722
Washington, DC United States 20001National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. United States 20590 -
Project Managers:
Retting, Richard
- Start Date: 20261001
- Expected Completion Date: 0
- Actual Completion Date: 0
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Advanced driver information systems; Global Positioning System; Speed control; Speed limits; Traffic safety; Traffic speed
- Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01994965
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
- Contract Numbers: BTS-49
- Files: TRB, RIP
- Created Date: Jul 2 2026 8:16PM