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Road Safety Fundamentals
Concepts, Strategies, and Practices that Reduce Fatalities and Injuries on the Road

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

UNIT 3. Measuring Safety

Figure 3-1: Data Elements on a Crash Report Form
(Detailed image description)


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A typical front side of a police crash report form. Detailed image description is below.

Figure 3-1: Data Elements on a Crash Report Form: Front Side (Source: North Carolina DOT)

This image is a reproduction of a typical police crash report form. Sections are marked with letters; corresponding lettered boxes describe the sections. This image is the front side of a two-sided form. The details in the image are listed below:

  • A. Case Identifier
    The unique identifier within a given year that identifies a specific crash within a State.
  • B. Crash date and time
    The date (year, month, and day) and time(00:00-23:59) when the crash occurred.
  • C. Crash county
    The county or equivalent entity where the crash physically occurred.
  • D. Crash classification
    Used to identify ownership of the land where the crash occurred and identify the characteristics of the crash with respect to its location on or off a trafficway.
  • E. Crash city/place
    City/place (political jurisdiction) in which the crash occurred.
  • F. Type of intersection
    An intersection consists of two or more roadways that intersect at the same level.
  • G. Relation to Junction
    The coding of this data element is based on the location of the first harmful event of the crash. It identifies the crash's location with respect to presence in a junction or proximity to components typically associated with junction or interchange areas.
  • H. Crash location
    The exact location on the road where the first harmful event of the crash occurred. It is best if this information includes a geolocation based on a Geographic Information System (GIS) or Linear Referencing System (LRS) location coordinates.
  • I. Roadway surface conditions
    The roadway surface condition at the time and place of a crash.
  • J. Contributing circumstances, road
    Apparent condition of the road that may have contributed to the crash.
  • K. Weather conditions
    The prevailing atmospheric conditions that existed at the time of the crash.
  • L. Contributing circumstances, environment
    Apparent environmental conditions which may have contributed to the crash.
  • M. Light conditions
    The type/level of light that existed at the time of the motor vehicle crash.

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A typical back side of a police crash report form. Detailed image description is below.

Figure 3-1: Data Elements on a Crash Report Form: Back Side (Source: North Carolina DOT)

This image is a reproduction of a typical police crash report form. Sections are marked with letters; corresponding lettered boxes describe the sections. This image is the back side of a two-sided form. The details in the image are listed below.

  • N. Manner of crash/collision impact
    The identification of the manner in which two motor vehicles in transport initially came together without regard to the direction of force. This data element refers only to crashes where the first harmful event involves a collision between two motor vehicles in transport.
  • O. First harmful event
    The first injury or damage-producing event that characterizes the crash type.
  • P. Location of first harmful event relative to the trafficway
    The location of the first harmful event as it relates to its position within or outside the trafficway.
  • Q. School bus-related
    Indicates whether a school bus or motor vehicle functioning as a school bus for a school-related purpose is involved in the crash. The school bus, with or without a passenger on board, must be directly involved as a contact motor vehicle (children struck when boarding or alighting from the school bus, two vehicles colliding as the result of the stopped school bus, etc.)
  • R. Work zone-related
    A crash that occurrs in or related to a construction, maintenance, or utility work zone, whether or not workers were actually present at the time of the crash. Work zone-related crashes may also include those involving motor vehicles slowed or stopped because of the work zone, even if the first harmful event occurred before the first warning sign.
  • S. Source of information
    Affiliation of the person completing the crash report.

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Contacts

RSPCB Program Point of Contact
Felix Delgado, FHWA Office of Safety
Felix.Delgado@dot.gov
FHWA Office of Safety

Staff and Primary Work Responsibilities
FHWA Office of Safety

Safety and Design Team
FHWA Resource Center