SWITRS
Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System
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SWITRS
(Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System)
!  SWITRS captures data from traffic collision reports (CHP 555 format)
that happen in California from all law enforcement agencies.
!  The collection of traffic collision data helps the law enforcement
agencies to identify specific problems related to traffic safety and to
seek effective solutions. (eg. install traffic lights or stop signs.)
!  Fatal traffic collisions are current in our SWITRS data warehouse –
entering May 2014.
!  Oracle SWITRS delivers collision data to Department of Motor Vehicle
(DMV), and Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
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SWITRS
(Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System)
!  Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) receives driver-related data for its
driver record files. This data is used to develop educational treatment
program and identify individual drivers for enforcement of negligent
operator and drinking driver laws.
!  Department of Transportation (Caltrans) receives collision data for state
highway-related collisions for their Traffic Accident Surveillance and
Analysis System (TASAS). The data is used to propose improvement
and justify priorities for expending traffic safety funds.
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SWITRS
(Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System)
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The statistical data is kept in the California Highway Patrol SWITRS data warehouse for ten
years, and used to provide data and information to requestors from:
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Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Department of Motor Vehicles
California Legislature
Courts
Private Citizens
Attorneys
Research Organizations (university and college)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Safety Councils
Insurance Companies
CHP Areas
Public Works Agencies (county and city)
Law Enforcement Agencies
Federal Government
Engineers
Media
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SWITRS
(Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System)
!  The requestors can request reports as a count of traffic collision reports
to detail reports on a specific roadway location in a city or county.
!  Internet SWITRS, (I-SWITRS) application, is another way requestors
can obtain reports of data relevant to specified criteria such as:
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Jurisdiction
City or County Location
Annual or Quarterly reports by date.
This application is located on our California Highway Patrol Internet
Home page at http://www.chp.ca.gov
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SWITRS
(Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System)
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The traffic collision reports are entered into SWITRS database and the data is checked by
SWITRS rules and report any error. The rules are based on the Collision Investigation
Manual (CIM), Highway Patrol Manual (HPM) 110.5. Errors result in either an “hard error”
or a “warning” for data entry personnel to fix.
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To receive a copy of the Traffic Collision Report CHP555, contact Business Services
Section, Supply Services Unit at (916) 376-3550, fax at (916) 376-3583.
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To receive a copy of the Collision Investigation Manual (CIM), contact Business Services
Section, Publications Unit at (916) 843-3640.
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Request for assistance for preparing of the CHP 555, Traffic Collision Report, or other
available services, please call (916) 843-3455 or write to:
California Highway Patrol
Enforcement and Planning Division
Collision Investigation Unit
601 North 7th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
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SWITRS
(Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System)
!  Approximately 500 city police departments, sheriff offices, State Department of
Parks and Recreation police departments, State University police departments
and over 100 CHP Areas investigate and report these traffic collision reports.
!  Approximately 2,000 traffic collision reports arrive daily.
!  5,000 – 6,000 traffic collision reports are entered each week.
!  More than 400,000 – 500,000 traffic collision reports are entered each year.
!  Just closed 2011 SWITRS on April 4, 2014.
!  Currently a backlog of 360,000 - traffic collision reports.
!  Factors delaying release of annual report:
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Staffing vs. amount of reports received daily
Error reconciliation
Data entry backlog
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CHP 555
Traffic Collision Report
CHP 555, CARS Page 1 (Rev
11-06) OPI 065, Traffic Collision
Report:
All data fields identified in yellow are
keyed by Support Services Section,
Data Services Group staff and
stored in the SWITRS data
warehouse.
All data fields identified in green are
keyed by Support Services Section,
Data Services Group staff.
However, these fields are not stored
in SWITRS data warehouse. This
information is provided to DMV and
only retained on master file for one
year.
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CHP 555
Traffic Collision Report
CHP 555 CARS Page 2 (Rev
11-06) OPI 065, Traffic Collision
Coding:
All data fields identified in yellow
are keyed by Support Services
Section, Data Services Group
staff and stored in the SWITRS
data warehouse.
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CHP 555
Traffic Collision Report
CHP 555 CARS Page 2 (Rev 11-06) OPI 065, Traffic
Collision Coding:
The information that is keyed and stored into the
SWITRS:
Other Associated Factors, “F – Inattention*:”. A subcategories of Inattention can be selected by writing in the
category alpha, A thru K –
A - Cellphone handheld
B - Cellphone
C - Electronic Equipment
D - Radio/Cd
E - Smoking
F - Eating
G - children
H - Animals
I - Personal hygiene
J - Reading
K - Other
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CHP 555
Traffic Collision Report
CHP 555 Page 3 (Rev. 11-06) OPI
065, Injured/Witness/Passenger:
Page 3 indicates only when a
person in the collision is injured,
non-injured passenger, or killed.
Non-Injured Passenger is collected
for safety equipment and ejected
information.
All data fields identified in yellow
are keyed for each injured and
uninjured person by Support
Services Section, Data Services
Group staff and stored in the
SWITRS data warehouse.
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CHP 555-03
Traffic Collision Report – Property Damage Only
CHP 555-03 (Rev. 7-03) OPI 061:
This form is used to document traffic
collision location and driver information
when an officer was not present at the
scene.
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CHP 556
Supplementals
CHP556 (Rev. 7-90) OPI
065, Narrative/Supplemental:
This page provides
information that was not
available on an original CHP
555.
The new data is added to
SWITRS database to provide
additional/accurate
information using the
Supplement report (CHP
556).
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CHP 555D
Truck/Bus Collision Supplemental Report
CHP 555D (Rev. 1-07), OPI 062,
Truck/Bus Collision Supplement
Report:
This page is used only when the
collision involves trucks, and
buses, over 10,000 pounds or
vehicles transporting hazardous
materials.
All data field identified in blue are
keyed for each truck or bus by
Support Services Section,
SafetyNet Unit staff and stored in
the SafetyNet database for use by
Federal Agencies. The data is not
stored in the SWITRS data
warehouse.
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CHP 555
Traffic Collision Report – Common Errors
• Use of out-dated traffic collision report. (Rev. 11-06)
• Conflicting number of persons injured or killed on Page 1 and Page 3:
number of persons injured/killed on Page 1 not in agreement or blank with Page 3 (vice
versa).
• Location, Collision Occurred on, State Route indicated as name of street, eg. Brockway Road
should be stated as “State Route 267”
• Point of impact missing, diagrams not documented.
• GPS Coordinates: Latitude and Longitude are not documented.
• State Highway Related not marked/blank when the collision occurred on a State Route. A
State Highway collision is identified as on the state route or within 250 feet of intersection with
a state route or within 100 feet of ramp to or from a state route.
• Involved Party Category, Page 1:
- party type number is incorrect from Page 1 to Page 3.
- party type not marked.
- vehicle type not indicated.
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CHP 555
Traffic Collision Report – Common Errors
Driver’s License Number/State, Page 1:
!  driver's license number - too short/too long
!  same driver’s license indicated for both parties.
!  out-of-state license not indicated as “F” in the “Class” field.
Lack of Primary Collision Factor (PCF) on Page 2:
!  multiple party at fault
!  description of vehicle damage in the party at fault
!  no party at fault indicated
!  left side of the Page 2 is missing (maybe not been copied or printed correctly)
!  Page 2 or Page 3 completely missing from the traffic collision report
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CHP 555
Traffic Collision Report – Common Errors
Vehicle Type – On Duty Emergency Vehicle (ODEV), Page 1:
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ODEV collisions not indicated on the traffic collision report in “special conditions”
box or next to the party’s name.
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lack of the officer’s driver license number – need driver license number to
ensure DMV record is updated with ODEV status. In the past officer’s licenses
have been suspend and insurance rate increases when driver license is omitted.
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“American Medical Response” does not apply to ODEV. This vehicle is a
private ambulance and vehicle type should be: ’41’ for Ambulance.
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vehicle type error – sometime indicated as “01” or any other passenger vehicles
type, should indicate as a specialized vehicle type: 41 – Ambulance; 48 – Police
car/truck; 49 – Police motorcycle; and 43 – Fire truck (cheat sheet for Vehicle
Type Codes – CIM, HPM 110.5, Chapter 3, Page 39, Annex F).
Some of the errors on these traffic collision reports can have a combination of all the
above scenarios in one traffic collision report.
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CHP 555
Return process for errors on Traffic Collision Report
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Support Service Section does not return any traffic collision reports to the agencies. Our
Program Technician II, (PTII) contact the allied agency by phone, fax or mail and request a
corrected copies of the traffic collision report on a CHP 555 or a supplement CHP 556 –
Narrative/Supplemental addressing the necessary correction.
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CHP 554 – Request to delete /modify collision on a driver’s license record. This form is
needed to complete if incorrect information is supplied to DMV via a traffic collision report.
When the incorrect information is discovered, PT will research the information from the
requesting agency and make changes via the CHP 554 form. This could include:
- change PCF and OAF codes
- change in Driver’s License number
- addition and deletion of driver information
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On a daily basic, approximately 300 collision report are corrected.
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If you have any questions please, contact Data Analysis Unit @ (916) 843-4170
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CHP 555D
Truck/Bus Collision Supplemental Report
Common Errors:
• Use of out-dated supplement report. (Rev. 1-07)
• Incorrect Carrier ID Number: USDOT#, VIN#, STATE# CA. (SafeyNet Unit uses different
systems to research and find the correct DOT or CA numbers.)
• Vehicle Type – incorrect commercial vehicle code. (Use Vehicle Type Codes – CIM,
HPM110.5, Chapter 3, Page 39, Annex F.)
If you have any questions please, contact SafetyNet Unit @ (916) 843-4250
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SWITRS
(Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System)
California Highway Patrol
Support Services Section
Information Services Unit
(916) 843-4230
Dalila Fontana
DFontana@chp.ca.gov
Gurwinder Rakkar
GRakkar@chp.ca.gov
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