Crash Data

CDOT's Crash data process When a crash occurs, after an officer investigates and fills out a crash form (DR3447), the form is sent to the Department of Revenue (DOR). DOR processes the records and enters them into a database called DRIVES where the official, legal record is maintained. CDOT receives data from the DRIVES system for all crashes, excluding private property and counter reports. (Counter reports are self‐reported by drivers and are not investigated by a law enforcement officer). CDOT has a process that enhances the crash data received from DOR so that data can be used more efficiently for engineering and research purposes. This process adds an additional field for crash type, corrects common errors, updates the location information where available, and normalizes the data. This cleansing process creates a working database that CDOT then uses for engineering safety analysis and evaluation of safety for infrastructure projects. Some examples of how this data is used is to assess Level of Service of Safety (LOSS) for highway segments and intersections, identification of crash patterns, statewide strategic safety planning, evaluation of safety performance measures, and development of crash prediction models and diagnostic norms. The most recent data is available on the CDOT website in the form of statewide crash listings (see above). There is a single file for each full year. Users can access the crash data dashboards on the CDOT website to see more current incoming data, which may not have gone through the enhancements mentioned above, but rather contains the base elements as was originally written into the crash report. FARS is a separate database containing only fatal records and contains more detailed fields than the more general state database that includes all crashes. FARS is a nationwide census providing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Congress, and the American public yearly data regarding fatal injuries suffered in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Fatal data is finalized and published on December 31 of the following year. For example, 2015 fatal data was published on December 31, 2016. This allows for a thorough examination of records to ensure the most accurate data possible. The information in the FARS database is collected through a variety of sources, including coroner toxicology results, death certificates, initial fatal blotter notifications, and fatal supplement information. Fatal crashes included in the database meet the NHTSA definition of a fatal crash, which may not include all crashes involving a death. Examples of crashes that are not in the FARS database include deaths not resulting from the injuries sustained in the crash such as suicides or medical conditions.