Crash data availability and best practices across the United States.

Area of Science:

• Transportation Safety
• Data Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited public access to state-level crash data, excluding fatal incidents, impedes safety analysis and policy development.
• The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) provides fatal crash data, but comprehensive injury and non-fatal crash data remain largely inaccessible.
• Public and research communities require accessible crash data to understand incident causes and advocate for safety improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the current availability of state-level crash data across the United States.
• To identify best practices for managing and disseminating open crash data.
• To guide policymakers and experts in enhancing data accessibility for improved traffic safety.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a nationwide review of publicly available raw crash data and online dashboards.
• Performed structured interviews with state crash data custodians and data users.
• Compiled a national database detailing the characteristics of open crash data initiatives.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive database of open crash data availability was created and made publicly accessible.
• Interviews revealed significant challenges in data quality control, usability, and inter-agency collaboration.
• Identified political and financial constraints impacting data transparency and accessibility.

Conclusions:

• Linking crash data with other datasets, such as injury surveillance, is crucial for comprehensive analysis.
• Fostering partnerships between academic institutions, advocacy groups, and government agencies is essential.
• Addressing quality control and data management challenges is vital for effective traffic safety interventions.