1. July 12, 2005Portland State University Enhancing the Oregon Crash Reporting Process: A Feasibility Study ITE District 6 Annual Meeting July 12, 2005 Chris Monsere, Ph.D., P.E. Research Assistant Professor Portland State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering monsere@pdx.edu Erin Wilson Master of Urban and Regional Planning Candidate Portland State University ewilson@pdx.edu

2. July 12, 2005Portland State University Background Transportation safety improvements rely on accurate data Crash data have traditionally been inaccurate or incomplete due to errors that are both systematic and random States use a variety of systems to collect and record crash data

3. July 12, 2005Portland State University State Comparison

4. July 12, 2005Portland State University State Comparison - Colorado

5. July 12, 2005Portland State University Oregon Process Oregon relies on citizen reports for majority of crash data Crashes must be reported if: –Greater than $1500 damage to own vehicle –Greater than $1500 damage AND towing of other vehicle –Injury or death 50,000 crashes per year 70% of crashes are recorded by ODOT

6. July 12, 2005Portland State University Oregon Process - Problems Time delay (1.5 years and up) One paper copy of each incident Potential for human error in reporting and coding. –Citizen –Police –Crash coders at both DMV and ODOT

7. July 12, 2005Portland State University Oregon Process – Citizen Form

8. July 12, 2005Portland State University Oregon Process – Police Form

9. July 12, 2005Portland State University Oregon Process 30-45 days 72+ hrs 30-90 days ORS 811.720 Requires Participants to Report to DMV Within 72 Hrs of a Crash Police Report Driver Report Insurance Co. Info DMV Accident Records Unit codes data for driver info and insurance DMV Accident Records Unit archives crash report forms 90 days to 18 months Data Extracts Ad Hoc/Custom Reports Publications STIP Transportation Safety Programs ODOT Crash Analysis & Reporting Unit codes data for crash information

10. July 12, 2005Portland State University Conclusions Three major areas for improvement: Errors made on report by police officer or citizen Errors occurring during manual coding processes Delay in receiving crash data because of the amount of time required for the manual coding process

11. July 12, 2005Portland State University Conclusions This project could save money in the long run: elimination of paper, mailing costs, transportation costs for paper records, and some staff time Start-up costs for the new system would include: software and hardware purchases, staff time for development, staff time for training, staff time for reorganization of existing crash units.

12. July 12, 2005Portland State University Conclusions The public would require education about using the new system Security and privacy concerns of citizens must be acknowledged An online system could not entirely replace the paper method An alternative or complement could be a scanning system to process paper forms

13. July 12, 2005Portland State University Conclusions The overall benefits of the enhanced system will include: Higher data quality due to less opportunity for error Ease of collection Ease of information transfer between agencies Improved customer service

14. July 12, 2005Portland State University Conclusions There are many other enhancements available that could improve data collection: GPS devices in police cars In-vehicle reporting for police A simplified form for citizens Scanning for paper forms Electronic versions of forms transferred between DMV and CAR and archived.

15. July 12, 2005Portland State University Next Steps Survey of drivers involved in crash Comparison of forms to quantify discrepancies Comparison of crash file to ODOT’s database to quantify errors Final report and recommendations to ODOT