Safety Data Analysis Safety Data Analysis Tools WorkshopTools Workshop

TRB Keck CenterTRB Keck Center

March 27, 2006 March 27, 2006

National Model for the National Model for the Statewide Application of Data Statewide Application of Data Collection and Management Collection and Management

Technology to Improve Technology to Improve Highway SafetyHighway Safety

Traffic and Criminal SoftwareTraffic and Criminal Software

(TraCS)(TraCS)

How do states get there?How do states get there?

TechnologyTechnology Keys to success:Keys to success:

Working Together Working Together LeadershipLeadership

Institutional barriers much more Institutional barriers much more difficult to overcome than difficult to overcome than technological barrierstechnological barriers

Benefits of Electronic Crash Benefits of Electronic Crash Data CaptureData Capture

TimelinessTimelinessAccuracyAccuracyCompletenessCompletenessOfficer EfficiencyOfficer EfficiencyEliminates duplicate data Eliminates duplicate data entry at local and state entry at local and state levelslevels

Chicken or the EggChicken or the Egg

Visionary DecisionsVisionary Decisions DOT maintain base records for all road DOT maintain base records for all road

systems (30+ years ago)systems (30+ years ago) DOT took the lead in providing means for DOT took the lead in providing means for

Law Enforcement agencies to Law Enforcement agencies to electronically submit crash data (12 years electronically submit crash data (12 years ago)ago)

Systems development is a marathon, not a Systems development is a marathon, not a sprintsprint

Statewide Data Collection Statewide Data Collection Systems Systems

Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS)Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS)for all electronic crash data capture for all electronic crash data capture

and and transmission to the state crash transmission to the state crash databasedatabase

Why a Statewide System?Why a Statewide System? Consistent quality of crash dataConsistent quality of crash data

all Law Enforcement Agencies all Law Enforcement Agencies all roadway systems all roadway systems edits and validationsedits and validations

TraCS is not . . . TraCS is not . . . A Records Management System A Records Management System

(RMS) for Law Enforcement Agencies(RMS) for Law Enforcement AgenciesMove data collected in TraCS to RMS Move data collected in TraCS to RMS

Mobile Data Software/Transmission Mobile Data Software/Transmission InfrastructureInfrastructureUse mobile data to move TraCS data Use mobile data to move TraCS data

Use existing Transmission Infrastructure Use existing Transmission Infrastructure

TraCS is . . . . TraCS is . . . .

a data collection toola data collection tool

- user friendly- user friendly

- robust- robust

- flexible - flexible

- customizable- customizable

How it worksHow it works The Motor Vehicle Division of the The Motor Vehicle Division of the

Iowa DOT develops and maintains Iowa DOT develops and maintains the data collection softwarethe data collection software

DOT staff provides service to local DOT staff provides service to local and state law enforcement at no cost and state law enforcement at no cost to:to: install the softwareinstall the software train on use of TraCS train on use of TraCS ongoing supportongoing support

Accidents

State Fiber System

JudicialDPS

DOT

Electronic Data FlowElectronic Data FlowElectronic Data FlowElectronic Data Flow

Law Enforcement Vehicle

Federal Databases

TraCS LawEnforcement Database

Commercial Vehicle Inspections

DOT DatabasesDPS Criminal

Reporting Database

Courts

Justice Data Warehouse

Citations

Dispositions

Driver Records

CitationDispositions

Transmit to DOT

Crash Data Collection Life Crash Data Collection Life CycleCycle

Crash Data Collection Life Crash Data Collection Life CycleCycle

Officer's notes at scene

Data entry into local databases

Mail to DOT

DOT Mailroom

Data entry

Location

Edit checks & corrections

Data analysis

12 - 18 Months

Type & copy report

8 hours

Why the unique approachWhy the unique approach

Immediately moves state towards an Immediately moves state towards an integrated systemintegrated system

Free distribution statewide/self Free distribution statewide/self sufficientsufficient

Opportunity to save significant Opportunity to save significant taxpayer dollars taxpayer dollars

TraCSTraCS Client – Server ApplicationClient – Server Application

Distribution capabilityDistribution capability

Desktop onlyDesktop only

Diagramming ToolDiagramming Tool

Location ToolLocation Tool

TraCSTraCS

Important featuresImportant features Interoperable/Interfaces/IntegrationInteroperable/Interfaces/Integration Open architecture/open databaseOpen architecture/open database Export data to law enforcement Records Export data to law enforcement Records

Management SystemsManagement Systems TraCS uses data imported from machine TraCS uses data imported from machine

readable documents, local databases, readable documents, local databases, and national databases to populate TraCS and national databases to populate TraCS reports reports

TraCSTraCS Import data from other sources into TraCS Import data from other sources into TraCS

databasedatabase Capability to output data in variety of Capability to output data in variety of

formatsformats Collects other types of data – very Collects other types of data – very

important to Law Enforcement agencies – important to Law Enforcement agencies – the data collectors every Safety Data the data collectors every Safety Data System depends on System depends on

Crash reporting. . . . . . . . . . Criminal Crash reporting. . . . . . . . . . Criminal reporting reporting

Location Tool in TraCSLocation Tool in TraCS

Reduced number of data elements Reduced number of data elements collectedcollected

Used for more than crashesUsed for more than crashes

Return on InvestmentReturn on Investment

What able to do now that couldn’t What able to do now that couldn’t without electronic reportingwithout electronic reporting

Make data accessible more Make data accessible more timelytimely

Analyze data – local level/state Analyze data – local level/state levellevel

Analysis toolsAnalysis tools Impacts data qualityImpacts data quality

Electronic data collection is Electronic data collection is not necessarily less not necessarily less

expensive than manual data expensive than manual data collection, the savings come collection, the savings come

from not reinventing the from not reinventing the wheel over and over, both wheel over and over, both within one state and from within one state and from

state to statestate to state

Other States and Canadian Other States and Canadian ProvincesProvinces

Offered opportunity to other Offered opportunity to other states/provinces to use TraCS softwarestates/provinces to use TraCS software Software Development KitSoftware Development Kit Steering CommitteeSteering Committee Business PlanBusiness Plan

From ‘free’ to self-sustaining voluntary From ‘free’ to self-sustaining voluntary consortium of users consortium of users

Lessons Learned Lessons Learned

Developing effective systems is a Developing effective systems is a marathon, not a sprint marathon, not a sprint

Take small steps while keeping in mind the Take small steps while keeping in mind the big picture big picture

Iterative development approachIterative development approach

Need to create “win-win” partnershipsNeed to create “win-win” partnerships

FutureFuture

Making the data useful to more groups Making the data useful to more groups More readily accessibleMore readily accessible More useful - - - - - data-driven decisionsMore useful - - - - - data-driven decisions

Technology is availableTechnology is available

Challenge will continue to be the Challenge will continue to be the institutional issuesinstitutional issues