This project developed procedures to assess the existence and extent of under/over-reporting of impaired and distracted driving in crash data and to propose a methodology to improve the reporting of impaired and distracted driving in motor vehicle crashes.
Status: Complete (published as BTSCRP Research Report 19 in March 2026)
Strategies to Improve Reporting of Impaired and Distracted Driving in Motor Vehicle Crashes, provides procedures to determine the extent of misreporting of impaired and distracted driving crashes, as well as methods to improve the reporting of impaired and distracted driving in motor vehicle crashes. Misreporting refers to a variety of issues, including under-reporting, over-reporting, errors in crash data recording, and misclassification. Guidance and methodologies developed in this research will help states and local jurisdictions identify misreporting of impaired and distracted driving and improve crash data collection and analysis. This report will be of interest to state highway safety offices (SHSOs) and other stakeholders concerned with improving the reporting of impaired and distracted driving in motor vehicle crashes.
