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, the Governors Highway Safety Association, state highway safety offices (SHSOs), state departments of transportation (DOTs), and local transportation agencies 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. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to develop recommendations to improve the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of crash data for active transportation users. The project sought to (1) document current shortcomings related to existing data for crashes involving active transportation users (including crashes that do not involve motor vehicles in transport), and (2) consider non-motorist victim characteristics.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5492
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Work on this project was only partially completed before the subaward ended. Remaining work is being conducted under NCHRP Project 07-35A.

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $499,980.00
• Contract Numbers:

  07-35

• 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
• Performing Organizations:

  University of North Carolina

  ,    
• Principal Investigators:

  Sandt, Laura

• Start Date: 20240708
• Expected Completion Date: 20250915
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

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

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01989096
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: 07-35
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 12 2026 3:48PM