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The TSASS staff has been involved with the Ohio traffic crash data system since the late 1980’s, as well as Richard Paddock, CEO of TSASS, who was the Project Director for the establishment of Ohio’s relational database crash data system (The Ohio Integrated Traffic Records System) in 1990. Since leaving the Department of Public Safety in 1996 to form TSASS, Mr. Paddock has been actively involved in efforts to improve the traffic crash data that is available from ODPS. One of the first orders of business of TSASS was to obtain a copy of the Ohio Crash Data File and begin developing tools to make the data more valuable and reliable for the traffic safety community
In 2000, when Ohio changed the OH-1 Traffic Crash Report and made significant changes to the data file that they maintain, TSASS recognized several significant problems with the data that was being exported by ODPS and began developing procedures improve the reliability and utility of the data. In 2001, TSASS developed the Ohio Safety Information System (OSIS) to support the TSASS version of the Ohio Crash Data, as well as support for other safety data files such as EMS Run Data, Hospital Emergency Department and Discharge Data, and Roadway Inventory Data. Although the first generation of the OSIS system was designed for internal use by TSASS staff, in 2003 TSASS implemented a version that is accessible through the internet, expanding the crash data support options available to the traffic safety community. The Crash Data Component of the Ohio Safety Information System provides subscribers access to Ohio crash data back to 1995 in a common format. There are ad hoc query tools, tools for creating frequency distributions (1-way and 2-way), listings, and a battery of standard reports. In addition, the user may create an export file of data that has been selected, which can be downloaded for use in local applications or reports. The Crash component of the OSIS is based upon the best possible crash data available, and represents the clean-up of location and other data fields by procedures that have been implemented within TSASS. Currently there are over 3,000 man-hours invested in procedures to clean up the ODPS export files, and there is an on-going effort within TSASS to improve the data further. Subscribers to the OSIS can avail themselves of any or all of the following components: Local Crash Data Collection: TSASS staff will work with the local subscriber and local police agencies that investigate traffic crashes to arrange to enter and scan all local crash reports. As ODPS begins accepting electronic crash data from police agencies, TSASS will work with the investigating agencies to assure that data is submitted to ODPS in the format and with edits that satisfy the ODPS electronic reporting standards. Should the local police agency choose to capture the data in the field using a PDA or laptop, TSASS will work with the police agency to provide them with suitable software, or work with data captured by other software packages to assure that it meets the ODPS requirements for electronic submission. When TSASS receives hard copies of the OH-1 for entry and scanning in a timely manner, TSASS will certify to the reporting agency that the data is sent to ODPS within 3 business days of receipt of the forms. For OSIS on-line subscribers the data will be available for retrieval, along with a scanned image of the complete report within 5 business days of receipt by TSASS.
Public Inquiries Support: For police agencies that submit their OH-1 forms to the OSIS, a service is available which would allow the police agency to place a monitor and printer in their public inquiries area to access the crash images. An individual wishing to purchase a copy of an OH-1 would be able to search by any of several methods to find the crash of interest. They may then print off a copy of the report using the local printer. This relieves the police agency of the burden of storage and manual retrieval and duplication of reports that are requested by the public and insurance companies, while still allowing the police agency to charge an appropriate fee for the report. Police agencies that wish to allow insurance companies to access the OSIS directly will be provided with information to allow for invoicing of the insurance companies based upon the reports retrieved by the company. Enforcement Planning Support: TSASS has developed a number of standard reports that provide police agencies with information that can be used to help identify problem areas by type of crash, location, type of driver, etc. These can be run by TSASS staff and provided to the police agency on a regular basis, or the police agency can subscribe to the OSIS data portal and run reports as well as ad hoc queries. The OSIS also contains utilities to assist enforcement agencies in tracking traffic citations, speed data and other traffic enforcement data. Traffic Engineering Support: The Ohio Safety Information System provides the traffic engineering community with what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable source of traffic crash data in Ohio. TSASS obtains dumps of the Ohio crash database each month to update the OSIS for reports that are not obtained directly from the enforcement agency. TSASS processes all data to establish consistent location descriptions, accident types, and other attributes that are important to the traffic engineer. Within the traffic engineering toolkit are utilities for generating high-hazard location lists by type of traffic crash, various frequency and trend tables, most data reports required for ODOT and ODPS grant applications, as well as a an extensive ad hoc query system that allows the download of data to the user’s computer. Traffic Crash Data Monitoring Services: TSASS also provides traffic safety agencies with a data monitoring service that produces monthly or quarterly summaries of local traffic crash data. These services can range from simple “Local Traffic Crash Facts” reports that are available through the web on a monthly or quarterly basis, to active monitoring of traffic crash trends, including the preparation of “hot lists” of areas where traffic crashes appear to be increasing. For Ohio Safe Community Programs, the Project Manager can be provided with crash profile reports for each member political subdivision on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. |
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