1. Safety Data Analysis Tools Workshop TRB Keck Center March 27, 2006

2. National Model for the Statewide Application of Data Collection and Management Technology to Improve Highway Safety Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS)

3. How do states get there? Technology Technology Keys to success: Keys to success: Working Together Working Together Leadership Leadership Institutional barriers much more difficult to overcome than technological barriers Institutional barriers much more difficult to overcome than technological barriers

4. Benefits of Electronic Crash Data Capture Timeliness Timeliness Accuracy Accuracy Completeness Completeness Officer Efficiency Officer Efficiency Eliminates duplicate data entry at local and state levels Eliminates duplicate data entry at local and state levels

5. Chicken or the Egg Visionary Decisions Visionary Decisions DOT maintain base records for all road systems (30+ years ago) DOT maintain base records for all road systems (30+ years ago) DOT took the lead in providing means for Law Enforcement agencies to electronically submit crash data (12 years ago) DOT took the lead in providing means for Law Enforcement agencies to electronically submit crash data (12 years ago) Systems development is a marathon, not a sprint

6. Statewide Data Collection Systems Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS) Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS) for all electronic crash data capture and transmission to the state crash database Why a Statewide System? Why a Statewide System? Consistent quality of crash data Consistent quality of crash data all Law Enforcement Agencies all Law Enforcement Agencies all roadway systems all roadway systems edits and validations edits and validations

7. TraCS is not... A Records Management System (RMS) for Law Enforcement Agencies A Records Management System (RMS) for Law Enforcement Agencies Move data collected in TraCS to RMS Mobile Data Software/Transmission Infrastructure Use mobile data to move TraCS data Use existing Transmission Infrastructure

8. TraCS is.... a data collection tool a data collection tool - user friendly - robust - flexible - customizable

9. How it works The Motor Vehicle Division of the Iowa DOT develops and maintains the data collection software The Motor Vehicle Division of the Iowa DOT develops and maintains the data collection software DOT staff provides service to local and state law enforcement at no cost to: DOT staff provides service to local and state law enforcement at no cost to: install the software install the software train on use of TraCS train on use of TraCS ongoing support ongoing support

10. Accidents State Fiber System Judicial DPS DOT Electronic Data Flow Law Enforcement Vehicle Federal Databases TraCS Law Enforcement Database Commercial Vehicle Inspections DOT Databases DPS Criminal Reporting Database Courts Justice Data Warehouse Citations Dispositions Driver Records Citation Dispositions

11. Transmit to DOT Crash Data Collection Life Cycle 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

12. Why the unique approach Immediately moves state towards an integrated system Free distribution statewide/self sufficient Opportunity to save significant taxpayer dollars

13. TraCS Client – Server Application Client – Server Application Distribution capability Distribution capability Desktop only Desktop only Diagramming Tool Diagramming Tool Location Tool Location Tool

14. TraCS Important features Important features Interoperable/Interfaces/Integration Interoperable/Interfaces/Integration Open architecture/open database Open architecture/open database Export data to law enforcement Records Management Systems Export data to law enforcement Records Management Systems TraCS uses data imported from machine readable documents, local databases, and national databases to populate TraCS reports TraCS uses data imported from machine readable documents, local databases, and national databases to populate TraCS reports

15. TraCS Import data from other sources into TraCS database Import data from other sources into TraCS database Capability to output data in variety of formats Capability to output data in variety of formats Collects other types of data – very important to Law Enforcement agencies – the data collectors every Safety Data System depends on Collects other types of data – very important to Law Enforcement agencies – the data collectors every Safety Data System depends on Crash reporting.......... Criminal reporting Crash reporting.......... Criminal reporting

16. Location Tool in TraCS Reduced number of data elements collected Reduced number of data elements collected Used for more than crashes Used for more than crashes

17. Return on Investment What able to do now that couldn’t without electronic reporting What able to do now that couldn’t without electronic reporting Make data accessible more timely Make data accessible more timely Analyze data – local level/state level Analyze data – local level/state level Analysis tools Analysis tools Impacts data quality Impacts data quality

18. Electronic data collection is not necessarily less expensive than manual data collection, the savings come from not reinventing the wheel over and over, both within one state and from state to state

19. Other States and Canadian Provinces Offered opportunity to other states/provinces to use TraCS software Offered opportunity to other states/provinces to use TraCS software Software Development Kit Software Development Kit Steering Committee Steering Committee Business Plan Business Plan From ‘free’ to self-sustaining voluntary consortium of users From ‘free’ to self-sustaining voluntary consortium of users

20. Lessons Learned Developing effective systems is a marathon, not a sprint Developing effective systems is a marathon, not a sprint Take small steps while keeping in mind the big picture Take small steps while keeping in mind the big picture Iterative development approach Iterative development approach Need to create “win-win” partnerships Need to create “win-win” partnerships

21. Future Making the data useful to more groups Making the data useful to more groups More readily accessible More readily accessible More useful - - - - - data-driven decisions More useful - - - - - data-driven decisions Technology is available Technology is available Challenge will continue to be the institutional issues Challenge will continue to be the institutional issues