Development of a master file of essential highway safety planning and evaluation data.

Simpson, Clinton H; Haggerty, Michael P., · 1978 · ROSA P / Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)

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Summary

This 1978 report by Clinton H. Simpson, Jr. and Michael P. Haggerty addresses the inefficiencies in Virginia’s Annual Highway Safety Work Program (AHSWP), the mechanism used to secure federal highway safety funding. The study was motivated by the laborious and time-consuming nature of compiling "problem identification" data required for the AHSWP. Although a previous reform introduced a "Problem Identification/Management by Objectives" approach to improve planning quality, the manual processes for retrieving, assimilating, and disseminating data from various state agencies remained a bottleneck. The authors sought to determine the feasibility of automating these stages to enhance the validity, reliability, and efficiency of the state’s highway safety planning. The researchers analyzed the data compilation process across three stages: retrieval, assimilation, and dissemination. They categorized data sources into computerized information (e.g., crash data from the State Police), filed information (e.g., driver education records), and manual information (e.g., debris control). The study evaluated each standard area of the AHSWP—such as general information, motorcycle safety, traffic courts, and emergency medical services—to assess the potential for automation. The authors proposed the development of a "format program," a computer system that would allow data to be keypunched and stored as it was retrieved, bypassing the cumbersome manual typing and reproduction required for dissemination. They also recommended interfacing existing crash data programs with this new format program and procuring computerized driver licensing and conviction data tapes from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The findings indicated that while complete automation of the entire AHSWP was not immediately possible due to the lack of computerized data for all categories, significant portions could be automated. Areas with existing computerized data, such as crash statistics for general information, motorcycle safety, alcohol-related incidents, and pedestrian safety, were identified as candidates for immediate full automation. Other areas, like traffic courts and police traffic services, could be automated if source tapes were obtained. Conversely, areas relying on non-computerized, frequently changing data, such as population figures, driver education, and emergency medical services, would remain partially manual but would still benefit from the format program by allowing data storage and recall. A cost-benefit analysis suggested that implementing the format program would result in an initial loss of $111 but yield savings of $789 in subsequent years, with further automation of conviction data showing immediate gains. The significance of this work lies in its recommendation for an ongoing automation program to optimize personnel utilization and improve data accessibility for sound program management. By automating the retrieval and dissemination of essential safety data, Virginia could ensure a more systematic and fair distribution of federal funds. The report concludes that automation is essential for maintaining the integrity of the AHSWP, fostering a continuous review of safety programs, and ensuring that federal funds are efficiently utilized based on accurate, problem-identified needs rather than arbitrary program selections.

Key finding

Implementing a format program and interfacing it with existing crash data retrieval systems allows for the complete automation of specific AHSWP components, thereby eliminating manual typing and dissemination bottlenecks.

Methodology

other

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• naturalistic crash near crash

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource