Crash Data

State and local agencies should collect and maintain data on crashes involving a bicyclist or pedestrian. These data have limitations, however, since most state computerized crash databases only include crashes with motorized vehicles and do not include non-injury or minor injury crashes. Thus, agencies should not assume that reported crash locations are the only locations with safety problems, and should work with local law enforcement professionals to improve the reporting of crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians.

Planners and engineers should also have access to municipality-wide crash data; understanding common accident types and locations can help communities determine the best countermeasures for improving safety. While computerized data are important for identifying high-crash locations or corridors, combining these data with information from police reports is often the only way to understand where, how, and why each crash occurred. Thus, collaboration with police departments is helpful for analyzing the crash data and selecting safety treatments.