Improving Crash Data for Active Transportation Users

In recent years, the United States has experienced sharp, inexplicable increases in the number of pedestrian fatalities. In response to this disturbing trend, state highway safety offices (SHSOs) and state departments of transportation (DOTs) have been conducting safety analyses to better understand the problem and develop remediation plans. Crash data is the primary source of information used for safety analysis. This critical data source, however, has many limitations, including inconsistencies in reporting, inaccurate or incomplete coding of crashes, and underreporting, especially for active transportation/non-motorized users (herein after referred to as active transportation users). Also, crash typing (used to describe events and movements prior to a crash) can lack details for pedestrian- and bicycle-involved crashes, and in some cases must be constructed using multiple variables. Improving pedestrian and bicyclist injury and fatality data, adopting consistent typing methods at the national and local levels, improving data storage, sharing and accessibility, and integrating police and hospital crash data would help practitioners understand risk factors and potential countermeasures. It is important to understand the reasons for crash data limitations, related implications, and measures that can be taken to improve the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of crash data for active transportation users. Research is needed to improve the current state of the practice for collecting injury and fatality data for active transportation users. For the purposes of this project, active transportation users include pedestrians, bicyclists/pedalcyclists (both manual and electric), and persons on personal conveyances (i.e., e-scooter users, mobility device users [e.g., manual and motorized wheelchairs], skateboard riders, users of similar personal conveyances). The objective of this research is to continue and complete the work begun under NCHRP Project 07-35, “Improving Crash Data for Active Transportation Users” to develop a guide to improve the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of crash data for active transportation users.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=6009
• Supplemental Notes:
  • NCHRP Project 07-35A is a continuation of NCHRP Project 07-35 which was only partially completed before the subaward ended. Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $500,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 07-35A

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Retting, Richard

• Start Date: 20260901
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash data; Crash injuries; Data collection; Fatalities; Nonmotorized transportation
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01976555
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 07-35A
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 19 2026 4:41PM