The HSP is required by USDOT NHTSA regulations. The federal regulations outline the required content of the HSP, including the:

Each of these elements is described in more detail in the following subsections.

For the most part, the HSP development is an internal activity conducted within TRF-BTS under the leadership of the TRF-BTS Program Planner. Input and information collected throughout the year from federal, state, and local traffic safety sources and partners is considered by TRF-BTS. In some cases, TRF-BTS may specifically solicit input from selected partners or others with experience in a selected program area. This process ensures state and local agencies, as well as public and private organizations using the program areas, targets, and strategies developed by TRF-BTS, can then propose projects that directly support and implement those strategies.

This guidance is provided to subgrantees annually in the TRF Traffic Safety Request for Proposals (RFP) publication. The RFP includes a synopsis of the State data and the selected funding priorities, key problem areas, targets and emphasis areas, and proven strategies.