Why Should You Have
Accessibility to Crash Data?
Because…..
• Improvements in producing high quality cause-of-death
data are crucial for improving health and reducing
preventable deaths. (World Health Organization)
• It removes the guesswork and efficiently places resources
where they can best be used
• It can assist in receiving federal funding for education,
engineering and enforcement projects
• It assists in reducing crashes, fatalities and serious
injuries
• It is your Data
• It Saves Lives
Can You Explain It Without the Crash
Report? Must be a Fixed Object Crash
Typical Data Analyzed from Crash Report
(Not a Complete List)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crash Type
Primary Cause
Secondary Cause
Weather condition
Traffic Control Device
Lighting Condition
Event Location
Vehicle Type
Alcohol Use
Road Surface Condition
Number of Lanes
Injury Classification
Crash Data Analysis
• Understanding “Why” there is a problem
• Leads to beginning stages of Problem
Identification
o Mapping of crash locations
o Summarizing of all data elements
• Avoid making assumptions
Very Important !
Crash Report Narrative/Diagram
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
WB pickup
dropped a wheel off
to the right,
overcorrected, ran
off to the left and
hit a house
WB SUV crossed
pavement off to
the south side, reentered EB lane,
and hit EB pickup
truck
SB van pulled
from stop in front
of EB pickup
EB car hydroplaned in
water at RR underpass
and left road to the left,
hitting the curb
SUV dropped
wheel off to the
right, lost
control, and
overturned on
pavement
Motorcycle
dropped off
to the right,
overcorrected
and
overturned
on pavement
EB car dropped
a wheel off to
the right,
overcorrected,
ran off to the
left and
overturned
EB car lost
control and slid
sideways in
front of
opposing traffic
SB vehicle
missed a stop
sign and hit
passing WB
semi
WB vehicle
veered
from its
lane
Crash
report not
found
Lost control
and crossed
into
opposing
lane; head on
Dropped a wheel
off on the right,
overcorrected, ran
off the road to the
left, overturned
SB pickup ran a stop
sign and struck
eastbound pickup
Swerved to
miss a deer and
ran off the road
to the left
striking a
utility pole
Lost control
in the snow
and crossed
into
opposing
lane in front
of a semi
Ran off road
to the left
and
overturned
Ran off the
road to the
left and hit
a utility
pole
And Yes sometimes they are
Entertaining…..but Rarely!
• Coming home I drove into the wrong house and
collided with a tree I don’t have!
• The other car collided with mine without giving
warning of its intent!
• I collided with a stationary truck coming the
other way.
• In my attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a
telephone pole.
Eliminate Assumptions in Data
Analysis
• Easy to assume cause based on “data” alone
• The Narrative on the crash report from the Officer
at the scene is extremely important
• Verify cause through use of narrative/ diagram
• Don’t Stop There -- Eliminate as many Assumptions
as possible
• Do Site Reviews
Can you get copies of these or just Data
generated from them?
FHWA/IDOT Process
Review
• IDOT/FHWA meet once a year to Select Process
Review Topics
• Selection of topics should be based on real or
perceived opportunities for improvement
• IDOT/FHWA recommend topics for review
• Final topic selection based on consensus of both
IDOT/FHWA management
Availability and Use of Crash
Data Process Review
Assess the AVAILABILITY and ACESSIBILITY of:
Illinois Crash Reports and Data
for the purpose of:
IMPROVING problem identification and safety
countermeasure selection
Scope and Methodology
• Evaluate
o Stakeholder Accessibility to Crash Reports/Data
o Stakeholder use of crash information
• Document
o Illinois Law
o IDOT Policies/Practices
o Types of crash data systems in use
Interview/Survey Contacts Data
Users/Owners
• IDOT
o
o
o
o
o
Chief Counsel’s Office
Division of Traffic Safety
Bureau of Safety Engineering
Bureau of Local Roads
Districts 1,4
• Illinois Association of County Engineers Safety
Committee
• Chicago Department of Transportation
• Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning
• State, County and City Law Enforcement
• Consultants
• Emergency Medical Services
Crash Data Accessibility
Survey
• Over 2000 surveys with 338 Responses
• to:
o
o
o
o
o
o
County/City Engineers
Law Enforcement
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
IDOT Districts
Consultants
Emergency Medical Services
Survey Results
• 50.6 % Law Enforcement
• 30.8 % Engineering
• 18.4% Other Users
o (Public/Private Sector)
Does Your Organization
Use Crash Data?
• 68% Yes
• 32% No (18.1% want it)
o
o
o
o
o
11.5% Don’t Need It (Really?)
9.5% Would access if they could
8.3% Don’t know how to access
0.3% Tried to acquire it but can’t
2.4% No Response
How do you access crash
data
• 36.4% Use Hard Copy Filing Systems of
Completed Crash Reports
• 29.3% Use Local Agency Electronic Data Base
• 22.5% Uses IDOT System
o 17.5% from IDOT Division of Traffic Safety
o 7% from IDOT Bureau of Safety Engineering
o 0.3% Use IDOT Safety Data Mart
• 11.8% Other
o Websites, GIS, Own software, MCR, Don’t try etc.
Can you run your own
crash data queries?
• 40.2% Yes
• 35.2% No
• 24.5% No Response
Does your organization have an
internal system for
storing/analyzing crash data?
• 37.2% Yes
• 62.8% No or No Response
What issues have you
experienced in accessing crash
data?
• 28.4% No Problems
• 23.9% No Response
• 16.9% Cannot access IDOT Safety Data Mart
• 12.1% Slow Response Time
• 9.7% Miscellaneous responses from
o Too slow, SDM Too Difficult to use, Not enough current
Data
• 8.9% Inaccurate Data
What method do you prefer
to access crash data?
• 29.3% No Response
• 25.7% Password protected system through IDOT
• 25.1% Current method is sufficient
• 16.3% Internet
• 3.6% Other
o Would like to meet to discuss the options, the narrative
of the crash report is imperative, enhanced County
system
Illinois Law
•
625 ILCS 5/11-411 “Accident Report Forms”
o IDOT has duty to prepare and supply crash report
forms to police agencies
o The written reports must have detailed information in
accordance with standards.
o (Pub. Act 78-255)
Illinois Law (cont.)
• 625 ILCS 5/11-408 “Police to report motor
vehicle accident investigations” (Pub. Act 96-1147, eff.
7/21/10)
o Police must submit all crash report to IDOT
o Upon request, the Department shall furnish copies of
its written crash reports to federal, state, and local
agencies that are engaged in highway safety research
and studies. (effective date July 2010)
Illinois Law (cont.)
• 625 ILCS 5/11-412 “Motor vehicle accident
reports confidential”
o All required written accident reports shall be for the
confidential use of the Department and SOS
o The Department may furnish copies of its written
accident report to “federal, State, and local agencies
that are engaged in highway safety research and
studies (Pub. Act 95-757, eff. 7/25/08)
Illinois Law (cont.)
• 625 ILCS 5/11-414 “Department to tabulate and
analyze motor vehicle accident reports”
(Pub.Act 95-757, eff. 7/25/08)
o Department shall tabulate and may analyze all written
motor vehicle accident reports and shall publish
annually or at more frequent intervals statistical
information based on as to the number and
circumstances of traffic accidents.
Draft
Observation/Recommendation
• Observation:
The language of four IVC statutes relating to crash
reports and data has been interpreted in different
ways over the years, is confusing and leaves gray
areas for interpretation
• Recommendation:
Ensure all safety users have adequate accessibility to
complete crash data for safety.
Draft Observation
• Observation:
There seems to be a lack of formal IDOT
policies and guidelines regarding the use of
crash reports, there dissemination, review
and updating
Draft Recommendation
• Create policy and guidelines to include:
o What crash “data” or “reports” can be released
o Define what information on crash report is “personal” and
“confidential” and what can/cannot be released
o Clarify who can receive data including the media, general
public, researchers, consultants etc. and under what
circumstances
o Create guideline for regular review and updating of crash
report form
o Adhere to a strict schedule for completion of year end crash
data within a certain time period
o Create provisional data use policy
Draft Observation
• Factors such as lack of personnel, technical
knowledge, time and difficulty accessing their
own data, problem identification through the
review of crash reports is difficult to produce
for many county, city and state agencies.
Draft Recommendation
• Provide user friendly access to crash report
images, mapped locations of crashes and query
system to facilitate a more efficient and timely
review of crash data
• Include Enforcement, EMS, Education and
Engineering
Draft Observation
• Many agencies commented that they were
not aware of many techniques of crash
data analysis and would like more
training if it were available.
Draft Recommendation
• Create and provide training for crash data
analysis to County, City, State agencies in the
Education, EMS, Enforcement and Engineering
fields for better problem Identification and
countermeasure selection.
Best Practice
• IDOT District offices generally agree that they have
good access to:
o Crash Report Images
o Crash Data
o GIS Maps
Recommendation: Review possible access of
these systems for the rest of the data users.
Illinois Statistics in 2012
• 956 People Died on Illinois Roadways
• 274,111 Crashes
• 83,768 Total Injuries
• 12,401 “A” Type Injuries (Incapacitating)
o Why?
o Where?
o When?
o How Do We Fix It?
The End
Illinois Crash Fatalities:
1920 - 2012
Year
Fatalities
Year
Fatalities
Year
Fatalities
Year
Fatalities
Year
Fatalities
1920
728
1940
2,328
1960
1,725
1980
1,994
2000
1,418
1921
887
1941
2,600
1961
1,822
1981
1,852
2001
1,414
1922
1,003
1942
1,706
1962
1,890
1982
1,671
2002
1,420
1923
1,031
1943
1,328
1963
2,028
1983
1,553
2003
1,454
1924
1,065
1944
1,355
1964
2,207
1984
1,572
2004
1,355
1925
1,533
1945
1,587
1965
2,256
1985
1,552
2005
1,363
1926
1,611
1946
1,862
1966
2,522
1986
1,617
2006
1,254
1927
1,744
1947
1,948
1967
2,493
1987
1,685
2007
1,248
1928
2,057
1948
1,939
1968
2,499
1988
1,860
2008
1,043
1929
1,984
1949
1,791
1969
2,533
1989
1,748
2009
911
1930
2,285
1950
1,973
1970
2,346
1990
1,589
2010
927
1931
2,367
1951
1,992
1971
2,400
1991
1,448
2011
918
1932
2,109
1952
2,135
1972
2,254
1992
1,384
2012
956
1933
2,177
1953
2,179
1973
2,369
1993
1,392
1934
2,575
1954
2,059
1974
2,007
1994
1,554
1935
2,334
1955
2,195
1975
2,084
1995
1,586
1936
2,461
1956
2,135
1976
2,073
1996
1,477
1937
2,598
1957
2,096
1977
2,170
1997
1,397
1938
2,177
1958
1,886
1978
2,166
1998
1,393
1939
2,261
1959
1,795
1979
2,048
1999
1,456
Illinois Motor Vehicle
Deaths
Year
Fatalities
Increase/Decrease
2007
1,248
Decrease .5% from 2006
2008
1,043
Decrease 16.4% from
2007
2009
911
Decrease 12.6% from
2008
2010
927
Decrease 1.8% from
2009
2011
918
Decrease 1.0% from
2010
2012
956
Increase 4.1% from 2011
As of Oct 21, 2013
799 Provisional
Increase 1.0% from 2012
National Motor Vehicle
Deaths
Year
Fatalities
Increase/Decrease
2007
41,259
Decrease 3.4% from
2006
2008
37,423
Decrease 9.3% from
2007
2009
33,883
Decrease 9.5% from
2008
2010
32,999
Decrease 2.6% from
2009
2011
32,367
Decrease 1.9% from
2010
2012
34,080 Projected
Increase 5.3% from 2011
2013
??????
??????
2012 National Projection
34,080
Motor Vehicle Fatalities
Issued May 2013