Instructions:
Record the appropriate code for road surface conditions at the time of the crash.
Definition:
The roadway surface condition at the time and place of a crash.
Rationale:
It is important to identify and correct high wet-surface crash locations and provide information for setting coefficient of pavement friction standards. This is critical for prevention programs and engineering evaluations.
| Code | Attribute | Definition | Example |
| 1 | Dry | Describes a roadway surface dry, and otherwise is not wet and not covered with water, snow, ice, sand, mud, dirt, oil, gravel, slush or another substance. |  |
| 2 | Wet | Describes a roadway surface covered with water from rain or melted snow. |  |
| 3 | Snow | Describes a roadway surface covered with snow. |  |
| 4 | Ice | Describes a roadway surface covered with ice. This includes a roadway covered with ice from freezing rain. |  |
| 5 | Sand, Mud, Dirt, Oil, Gravel | Indicates the presence of sand, mud, dirt, oil or gravel on the surface of the roadway at the crash location, not the surface type of the roadway by design. |  |
| 6 | Water (Standing or Moving) | Describes a roadway surface that is covered with an excessive amount of water, usually attributed to flooding and typically localized. |  |
| 7 | Slush | Accumulated snow or ice that has partially melted. |  |
| 97 | Other | If this attribute is used, an explanation in the narrative is recommended. This would include spilled substances such as grain, wet leaves, and liquids other than those listed above. | |
| 99 | Unknown | If this attribute is used, an explanation in the narrative is recommended. |
Reminder!
In some circumstances, the road surface conditions may differ from weather, such as in a tunnel or under a bridge.
Accuracy Checks
- If the value of Road Surface is ‘dry,’ Weather Condition cannot be ‘rain’, ‘snow’, ‘sleet’, ‘hail’, or ‘freezing rain’. Note: This may not apply in unusual locations, such as a tunnel.
- If the crash occurred between May and September, the value of Road Surface Condition should not be ‘snow’, ‘ice’, or ‘slush’.
Other Related Fields
Data Quality Audit Results
| Report Type | Acceptable | Inconsistent | Invalid | Empty | ||||
| Local Police (electronic) | 347 | 98.0% | – | – | – | – | 7 | 2.0% |
| Local Police (paper) | 348 | 96.9% | 3 | 0.8% | 1 | 0.3% | 7 | 1.9% |
| State Police (electronic) | 330 | 99.1% | 2 | 0.6% | – | – | 1 | 0.3% |
| Total | 1025 | 98.0% | 5 | 0.5% | 1 | 0.1% | 15 | 1.4% |