Traffic Records

Collecting good data is essential in planning effective highway safety programs. Traffic crash and fatality data is collected and maintained at the local, state and national levels in a variety of databases.

At the national level, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) is a nationwide census providing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Congress and the American public yearly data regarding fatal injuries suffered in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the U.S.

States maintain their own highway safety data as well. Many states have a Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (TRCC) that includes managers, collectors and users of traffic records, public health and injury control data. States are working to standardize and link their data systems.

GHSA and its member State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) are involved in many traffic records efforts. GHSA serves as a liaison to the the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals, a professional association that works to further the development and sharing of traffic records system procedures, tools and professionalism.

Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria

The Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) is a minimum, standardized data set for describing motor vehicle crashes and the vehicles, persons and environment involved. By providing a "minimum" set of data elements, MMUCC helps states collect reliable crash data, effectively guide enforcement planning and shape sound traffic safety policy.