U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
The following is a list of questions on the areas that the U.S. panel would like to discuss with you. These questions are intended to clarify and expand on the panel topics of interest described in the panel overview paper. These questions have been organized by general topics (such as policy, systems, and linkages), traffic crash data collection for both routine and special crash investigations, and roadway features data collection.
The panel is very interested to learn of any innovative methods or technologies that have been employed in both the collection and automation of these data, as well as the access and use of these data for safety programs. Examples of both successful and not-so-successful applications are of interest and will allow for a broader understanding of these issues. If possible, the panel would like to devote some portion of its time with you for site visits to observe the methods and technologies discussed, particularly in the area of field data collection.
General—issues including policy, systems, and linkages
What have been your most successful programs in building roadway safety data systems? Who are the innovators in these areas?
Who are the key stakeholders in your country involved in safety data programs?
What is your vision for the future on creating better traffic safety information systems?
What types of data do you collect and automate to evaluate roadway safety? What are the amounts of each type of data collected (such as annual number of crashes and number of miles of roadway)?
Who maintains each file? Is it the primary user or a central data collection agency? If it is the primary user, has file sharing with the central database or other users been a problem? If yes, how was this resolved?
How have you been successful in encouraging owners of different safety data systems to share information and allow each other access rights, etc.?
What laws, regulations, or incentives exist that encourage or motivate local agencies (such as cities, townships, villages, etc.) to dedicate their resources to developing, using, and maintaining integrated safety and roadway features databases?
Do you have examples of public agency-private sector partnerships that effectively share safety data information?
How have you been able to balance the safety data needs and interests from the traffic safety community (such as a traffic engineer or safety research scientist) with the concerns of those who first respond to the crash site and collect the data by filling out the collision report (such as local police)?
What kind of linkages does your information system have between the crash file and other safety-related data files, such as the roadway inventory file, traffic flow file, medical data files (emergency medical services, hospital, rehabilitation), driver licensing/history file, and other files?
What are the primary considerations or challenges in effectively linking roadway feature inventories with crash databases?
Do transportation departments have access to crash databases that can match crash frequencies and measures of crash severity to specific roadway locations? How do you ensure accurate location data on the crash report?
If you could start over and not have to retrofit what you have now, what would you do differently to your system to make it better? What are some of the lessons you have learned?
Crash Data—collection and accessibility of routine and special traffic crash data
What agencies collect your traffic crash data? Do law enforcement agencies use specialized crash investigation teams? Are non-sworn police officers (such as civilian crash investigators) involved in data collection? What are the criteria for determining what type of investigator is sent to the scene of a crash?
What types of training are provided to those collecting crash data?
Is there a uniform collision report form used by all investigating agencies in a jurisdiction (regional level, country level, or union level)? Who determines which variables appear on the standard collision report form (such as police agency, engineering department, committee)? In developing your standard collision report form, how have you been able to balance the need and interest for more data with the practical aspects of collecting and reporting data in a timely and accurate manner?
What type of information is collected about a traffic crash? (Please provide an example of your crash form or a listing of the data collected about the crash.) Is the following information being collected?
Alcohol or drug use by the driver
Is technology (such as computers, accident data recorders, or other onboard telemetry, etc.) used to collect the crash data? How much of the data are collected using computers in the field versus on paper forms? If you use computerized crash forms, are the forms tailored to specific crash situations (such as a different form for material damage-only crashes or an expert form that tailors later questions to the responses of earlier questions)? What innovative non-technological strategies do you recommend or has your country used to collect traffic crash data (for example, non-sworn accident investigators)?
Are all crashes reported and, if not, what criteria are used to decide whether a crash is reported? Have there been recent changes in these reporting criteria? Is your jurisdiction dealing with pressure to collect data about fewer crashes? How are you handling these pressures (for example, do law enforcement agencies take reports on material damage-only crashes)? Do the reporting criteria for the centralized systems differ from that used in local agencies (for example, the centralized data reflect only crashes involving fatalities and injuries, while local systems also contain data on material damage-only crashes)? Is there a different method of collecting data about material damage crashes?
What methods or systems have you employed to accurately establish the location of each crash? How accurate is this location information? Are special programs or methods used to increase the location accuracy? Are GIS coordinates used to identify locations? If so, how are these coordinates captured (for example, using GPS receivers in the police vehicles)?
Who has access to the automated crash data? Who can make changes to these data?
Do you employ technologies or techniques to speed up the process of crash investigation when the crash occurs during a heavy traffic period?
How do you conduct indepth crash investigations to capture more complete data for determining the causes and contributing factors of crashes? What are the criteria for selecting crashes to be reported by crash investigation teams?
For investigations of especially severe crashes or for special analytical studies, what types of technologies are used over and above regular crash investigations? Does the use of these technologies result in a more efficient investigation, save time in data collection, or have other advantages?
Roadway Data—collection and accessibility of data describing roadways, roadside appurtenances, traffic control devices, structures, traffic volume, etc.
What agency or agencies collect and maintain your roadway inventory data? Are these data maintained in a manual file or in computerized files?
What are the basic types of roadway variables collected? (Specific questions on variables in each type are included later.)
Traffic data (such as annual traffic volumes)
How often are your basic roadway inventory data checked or updated and how do you do this (for example, updates based on as-built plans for reconstruction projects or new roadways)?
Are roadways physically marked or delineated to specify roadway and crash locations and/or specific design features (for example, are kilometer marker signs used for inventory purposes)?
What are the roadway cross-section items collected (for example, number of lanes, widths and types of lanes and shoulders, median widths and types)?
Does your inventory include data about bridges, railroad grade crossings, multi-use paths, pedestrian facilities, tunnels, and other features?
Are horizontal curvature and vertical grade/curve data collected? If so, how are these data collected (for example, from as-built plans or from an instrumented vehicle)? Are these data maintained in an automated or manual file?
Are intersection inventory data collected? If so, what data are collected (for example, number of lanes/approach, signal timing data, etc.)? Are these data maintained in an automated or manual file?
Are roadside inventory data collected (for example, slope measurements, extent of clear zone, or roadside object inventory such as guardrails)? If so, how are these data collected? How are these data maintained and updated?
Can your roadway feature data be displayed on an automated geographic information system (GIS)?
Is computer-based technology used to collect information about any of the above roadway and intersection characteristics data? Is this information maintained in a computerized file? Have these data been validated for their accuracy (that is, compared to ground survey data)? If so, how accurate are they?
Are you using innovative methods or technologies to collect basic traffic volume data? Are the traffic counts collected used to extrapolate to other roadway segments that do not have counts?
How are traffic counts for commercial trucks and buses or other specialized vehicles collected? Are different types of trucks and buses differentiated in the counts? Are these specialized counts as complete as those in the basic count system?
Do you have traffic counts collected by driver type, age, or gender? How do you collect these counts?
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