What is a close call?
A close call is an accident that could have happened but did not. If ignored, close calls can lead to serious consequences. They are an opportunity to improve safety practices. Understanding the factors that lead to an unsafe event can greatly reduce the risk of an accident. The Close Call Data Program (CCDP) analyzes close calls and addresses their root causes. This helps prevent accidents before they happen.
The Close Call Data Program (CCDP)
Safety is a serious transportation issue. The U.S. Department of Transportation works towards eliminating transportation-related injuries and fatalities in the United States. Most transportation-related accidents have a small impact, while others are large-scale catastrophes that affect many people.
Transportation safety has improved to the point that there aren’t enough smaller-scale accidents to provide useful data for analysis. This may seem like a good problem to have, but this crucial data is necessary to prevent catastrophic accidents. The Close Call Data Program is a way to get this data without the occurrence of an actual accident.
Collecting data helps CCDP find the root cause of the close call. Then, CCDP develops corrective actions that work to prevent similar accidents.
BTS maintains the confidentiality of all data collected through CCDP.