Researchers: David Noyce (PI), Andrea Bill
Primary Project Objectives
Anecdotal evidence among crash database users, as well as most literature on the subject, suggests interpretive input errors are a common occurrence on crash report forms. In particular, highway engineering related data fields contained on the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Accident Report Form (MV4000) represent an important part of any safety analysis. In order to clearly identify potential improvements to Wisconsin engineering crash data quality, validation of current data was necessary. The importance of high data quality is unquestionable and critically important to effective engineering analysis.
This research study focuses on investigating police officer coding of highway engineering related data fields on MV4000s. Specifically, data was collected at twenty-seven high frequency crash locations in two Southern Wisconsin counties. The data fields evaluated by the TOPS Lab were: highway classification, access control, traffic-way, road terrain (horizontal & vertical curvature), and traffic control. These data fields are vital to allow accurate identification of problems and an effective selection and evaluation of countermeasures in order to increase safety.
