Introduction
More than 40,000 persons are killed and nearly three million injured on the Nation’s highways every year. Reducing the number of deaths and injuries is such a big problem that it cannot be resolved alone by the State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) — the lead coordinator for traffic safety programs in each State. They need to partner with a variety of State and local partners in order to meet safety goals. And State and local organizations and agencies want to partner with the SHSO because they can receive information and support in return.

But what does it mean to be a partner? Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines a “partner” as a person who takes part in an activity in common with another or others; the relationship of partners; joint interest; or association.

Partnerships have been the cornerstone of the highway safety movement for more than 30 years. When you share a concern about an issue and you collaborate with others who feel the same way, you are forming an important partnership. These can be formal or informal, but they are almost always more effective than working alone.

In a partnership, each side brings something to the table: knowledge, experience, technical assistance, access to decision-makers, motivated personnel, training, funding, an institutional infrastructure, etc. These shared resources allow the partners to work together more effectively on an issue or cause.

Each side also benefits from the partnership. For example, a State agency needs assistance addressing a specific issue or problem. They may turn to another State agency, local government or nonprofit organization for program implementation. In turn, that organization may receive training, knowledge, experience, technical assistance, and other resources from the State agency that help ensure success.

A partnership is more than a State agency giving funding to another group in order to implement a specific program. A partnership is a two-way street. Successful partnerships are those in which organizations and agencies both share their strengths, experiences, and resources, and where both receive benefits.

In order to build a partnership with an SHSO, the organization or agency must understand the State program needs and show what it has to offer to get the job done. It also has to identify its own needs and where it fits in the State highway safety plan. The SHSO, in turn, has to determine how it can help the organization or agency meet its safety goals and satisfy its needs.

It is common for an organization or agency to approach the SHSO without fully understanding the State’s planning and funding processes. Moreover, the organization’s leaders may not have fully considered what they can do to help meet the State’s highway safety goals and objectives. This guidebook was developed to help those organizations and agencies better understand how SHSOs operate, the kind of funding they administer, and the requirements that organizations must satisfy. The guidebook also identifies several different safety activities that organizations can undertake in partnership with their SHSO — not all of which involve the use of funding.

The guidebook is intended for use by the following:

• State and local chapters of national nonprofit organizations
• Local governments
• Other State agencies
• SHSO to provide to potential partners
• Community organizations.

For purposes of clarity, in this guide we will refer to these organizations and agencies as “potential partners” prior to receiving a grant and “grantee organizations” after receiving a grant. Potential partners may be organizations or agencies that collaborate with the SHSO on issues in which no funding is involved.

After reading the guidebook, potential partners should have a better understanding of what an SHSO is, how it operates, and how to form linkages with it in a mutually beneficial and productive way to reduce deaths and injuries on the nation’s roadways.
It is important to note that this is a guidebook and not documentation of what occurs in each State. Planning processes and requirements differ from State to State. As you review the material, remember that your SHSO procedures may differ.

Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in This Guide

Highway Safety Terminology