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September 2024 | Vol. 2. Issue 1 | |
In the newest edition of the Texas Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (TRCC) newsletter, we take a look at the latest updates and news in the transportation space, including insights into TRCC's innovative linkage pilot, collaborative efforts in collecting impaired driving data and a successful Strategic Traffic Records Assessment Plan (STRAP) review. | Interested in speaking at a meeting? Contact Emily Martin. | | |
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TRCC's Innovative Linkage Pilot
Linking crash data with clinical and other data can facilitate outreach, education and treatment efforts that are more precise. It also allows us to understand the lifecycle of a crash from the event through clinical outcomes. However, there is no simple way to link records in Texas. Consequently, in fiscal year (FY) 2024, TRCC members from Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) partnered with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and stakeholders, including local EMS providers and State Troopers, in the Texas panhandle (Regional Advisory Councils A & B) to develop and pilot test a method for including a unique identifier in the EMS and crash reports that would support their integration. Data analysis is ongoing; however, early results show that our method is strong.
We owe the successful implementation of the new approach to our ability to engage a diverse group of first responders and stakeholders. They also took ownership of the project because they realize its value for preventing fatalities and serious injuries that they see on a daily basis. CHOP in New Jersey has completed high impact projects that benefitted from linked traffic records. You can explore them here.
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TRCC Supporting Impaired Driving Data
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommended that Texas establish an impaired driving database. This initiative is complex and requires integrating data from multiple sources. To move forward, the Texas Impaired Driving Task Force (TxIDTF) and TRCC are collaborating to draft a memo outlining the rationale for creating such a database. Stakeholders will help address several key aspects, including:
The contents of the system: What data and information the database should include.
Administration: Who will be responsible for managing and operating the system.
Location: Where the database should be housed and maintained.
Data integration: How to effectively merge data from various sources, ensuring that public information and protected data are combined appropriately while maintaining confidentiality and security.
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Successful STRAP review for Texas CRIS
In alignment with NHTSA’s recent guidance update, the TRCC initiated a new process for its STRAP in FY24. The STRAP is critical because it helps us identify how we can improve our traffic records in each of the core areas – timeliness, accuracy, completeness, uniformity, integration and accessibility. The STRAP is the basis for the performance metrics used in our Traffic Records Information System (TSIS) Strategic Plan, which is updated and submitted to NHTSA annually. Moving forward, the TRCC will assess at least one of its core databases on an annual basis. This year, we focused on TxDOT’s Crash Data System, also known as the Crash Records Information System (CRIS). NHTSA provided TxDOT CRIS, under Jim Markham, with 48 questions representing six content submodules. In brief, questions related to documentation (e.g., description of CRIS, data dictionary), alignment with national guidelines, procedures and process flows, quality control, and interfaces with other systems. Then, a team of external peer experts reviewed responses and provided a rating along with comments related to suggested improvements. The assessment showed improvement since the prior STRAP and that CRIS met the advisory ideal for an overwhelming majority of items.
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Annual Texas Traffic Records Coordinating Committee Stakeholder Meeting | September 20, 2024
Provide input on our activities for the upcoming fiscal year!
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Jim Markham
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Jim joined the TRCC in September of 2022 as the new Director of Crash Data and Analysis Section within TxDOT’s Traffic Safety Division. Jim is a former U.S. Army officer, who came to TxDOT after serving more than 20 years in the Army and Air Force as a Military Intelligence Officer and Operations Research Systems Analyst. Specifically, Jim served at the Pentagon as a U.S. Air Force Officer Personnel Analyst and a U.S. Army Enlisted Accessions Analyst, utilizing his expertise in data collection, data analysis and statistics. He directed process analysis and optimization as a Wargame Analyst, Foreign Military Trainer, Operations Officer, Warrior Transition Unit Commander, Doctrine Editor, 25th Infantry Division Assessments Officer, Training with Industry Fellow, and Medical Analytics Director, completing his career as the 1st Cavalry Division Assessments Officer here in Texas at Fort Hood. Jim has been assigned all over the continental U.S. and Hawaii and has deployed to Iraq and Poland in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Atlantic Resolve, respectively. Since retiring from the Army, Jim has served as an Army Civilian Operations Research Analyst with Operational Test Command at West Fort Hood.
Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Especially relevant to traffic safety, he is an experienced motorcycle rider and racer as well as a very talented vocalist. Pictured is Jim (far right) singing the national anthem during the Colors Presentation at the 2024 ATSIP Traffic Records Forum in San Diego, CA.
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The ATSIP (Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals) Traffic Records Forum (TRF) is an annual meeting of data analysts, law enforcement officials, engineers, emergency medical services providers, judicial administrators and highway safety professionals. ATSIP TRF focuses on the latest safety data collection methods and approaches to improve and integrate traffic records to save lives. This year, we presented two presentations:
“Identifying Bodily Injury in Crash Narratives Using Advanced NLP Techniques,” presented by Mahin Ramezani (pictured left), illustrated one of our current efforts to turn the rich information available in the free-text narrative field in the Texas crash report into analyzable data. We accomplish this by applying machine learning and other computer science methods.
"Exploring Traffic Crash Characteristics & Outcomes through the Texas Emergency Medical Systems and Trauma Registry," presented by Nishita Sinha (pictured right), showcased how data sources beyond crash reports can be used to better understand crashes and related injuries over time. We also highlighted how these data can be used to understand changes over time such as trends related to the COVID-19 pandemic. | 2024 ATSIP Traffic Records Forum
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Visit our website for updated resources, including links to other agencies and documents such as DSHS’s recent factsheet on EMS response times in Texas. We also share data through our dashboard series: | |
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TxSTORM
Identifying emerging crash problems in your specific area using timely crash data.
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Repeated Crashers
Understand characteristics of drivers with multiple crashes in the last 10 years.
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Equity Indicator
Explore areas that may experience crash equity issues using census data.
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Trauma Registry Data
Examine diagnoses and demographics for injuries involving motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.
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Do you have ideas for the next issue? Email them to Emily Martin. | | | | |
