Traffic Safety Information Systems in Europe and Australia

FHWA-PL-04-010

Safety data is key to making sound decisions on the design and operation of roadways, but the quality of many States' crash atabases has eroded because of resource reductions. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study of how agencies in the Netherlands, Germany, and Australia develop and use traffic safety information systems.

The U.S. delegation found that, similar to the United States, the countries face a drop in crash documentation by law enforcement agencies, but they are developing creative methods for estimation, linkage, and integration to limit the amount of data collection required. The team also noted that safety is a core function with high-level support in the countries visited, and identified several themes that support a coordinated approach to managing safety data. The scanning team's recommendations for U.S. application include advancing safety themes in the areas of strategy, efficiency, and utility in a project to develop a more comprehensive approach to improving information systems. The team also recommends conducting a U.S. scan to determine best practices for collecting and sharing safety data, simplifying data collection by increasing automation, and evaluating new technologies to improve data collection and management.

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