Highway safety is an area that is gaining in importance today. In today's litigious society, traffic accidents occur and lawsuits are filed regularly based on traffic safety issues. Highway safety embraces a number of issues, ranging from potholes and deteriorating roadways or bridges to signage and obstructions.

Many times, highway safety issues are shared with the traffic department, although most street departments are responsible for the repair and maintenance of highway safety items.

Only 35% of those surveyed track highway safety items, such as bridges, culverts, guardrails, lights and signs, but another 30% want to start. Most of the departments (60%) budget for the repair and maintenance of highway safety items, with an additional 12% of the departments wanting to start.

Of particular significance is the number of departments that felt lawsuits or litigation was possible due to missing or poor-quality highway safety items. Almost 60% felt a lawsuit was possible.

Researching a reasonable defense in highway safety lawsuits, the most effective approach is positive management. A proactive program to identify and classify highway safety issues, accompanied with data that details specific actions taken to correct or eliminate those hazards, has been shown to be most effective. The key is solid highway safety information based on regular inspections and maintenance.

Highway safety, along with environmental issues, will become increasingly important. New federal programs and guidelines are requiring departments to devote more time and energy to those areas. Possible litigation will become only one of the reasons why city departments begin tracking highway safety issues.