The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.

This report examines the quality of state crash information; the activities states undertook using 411 grant funds to improve their traffic safety data systems, and the progress they made using the grant funds; and NHTSA's oversight of the grant program

Traffic crashes kill thousands of Americans every year -- in 2005, it was the the leading cause of death among young Americans. To try to improve highway safety, Congress authorized a grant program overseen by the Nat. Hwy. Traffic Safety Admin. (NHTSA). In 2003, it was recommended that NHTSA improve the consistency of its mgmt. reviews, a key aspect of NHTSA¿s oversight. In response to a legislative mandate, this report assessed: (1) how states have used grant funding to address safety goals; (2) NHTSA¿s progress in improving consistency in its mgmt. reviews; (3) the usefulness of its mgmt. review recommendations; and (4) approaches to further improve safety. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

Highway Safety: Better Guidance Could Improve Oversight of State Highway Safety Programs

This report examines the quality of state crash information; the activities states undertook using 411 grant funds to improve their traffic safety data systems, and the progress they made using the grant funds; and NHTSA's oversight of the grant program.