Current federal surface transportation legislation directs the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Safety Improvement Program to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads, including non-state-owned public roads and roads on tribal lands. The program requires a data-driven, strategic approach to improving highway safety on all public roads that focus on performance.
In a reflection of the importance of safety to the Denver region, the Denver Regional Council of Governments Board of Directors elected to establish region-specific safety performance measures, as follows.
Safety Performance Measures | 2023 Targets |
| Number of fatalities | 256 |
| Rate of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled | 0.930 |
| Number of serious injuries | 1,584 |
| Rate of serious injuries per 100 million vehicle miles traveled | 5.730 |
| Number of non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries | 330 |