Why Crash Data Is Important
The purpose of crash data is to help decision-makers understand the nature, causes, and injury outcomes of crashes. This information provides context for the design of strategies and interventions that will reduce crashes and their consequences.
In Massachusetts, crash data is used to:
- Award and target state and federal highway safety funding
- Focus on local and state law enforcement efforts
- Enforce existing laws to ensure driver/vehicle compliance (i.e., graduated driving licensing, alcohol, and speeding)
- Conduct problem identification and the development of resolutions for safety programs
- Make key legislative decisions that impact citizen safety on roadways
- Identify high crash locations and make engineering and construction improvements to roadways
- Educate the public on safety issues (i.e., seat belt use, aggressive driving, and speeding)
- Improve Emergency Medical Services through processes such as training EMS personnel or the deployment of EMS units
By gaining more complete information about traffic crashes and creating a more complete crash database, unsafe roadways can be identified, problems can be mitigated, and the state can move toward the ultimate goal of zero deaths.
