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Updated Crash Forms & How They Influence Vision Zero
The City of Omaha is deep in the process of developing a Vision Zero Action Plan that will support the Mayor’s goal of safer streets for all.
Vision Zero is a data-driven approach to reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.* Data, especially quantitative data, is important because it provides an accurate picture of the nature and safety of our roads and drivers. This data is used to identify high-injury networks and then design evidence-based solutions to address these dangerous areas in our road network.
However, what I’ve learned from being on the Vision Zero Technical Advisory Committee is that data is only useful if you HAVE it. For instance, during the TAC’s Distracted & Impaired Driving Focus Group a few months ago, we learned that since not much data is gathered on distracted driving, we don’t really know if distracted driving is the problem many of us “believe” it to be in the State of Nebraska.
We need to widen our nets to gather all the pertinent data.
And the State did just that!
THE UPDATED MANUAL
The Nebraska Department of Transportation recently released the 5th edition of the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) Guideline titled the “Investigator’s Motor Vehicle Crash Report Manual - April 2023” which provides a standard set of motor vehicle traffic crash data variables to be collected on crash forms.
This 61-page document is a uniform guide for enforcement officers who collect crash data, specifically the manual states:
“The information collected by law enforcement officers on these reports provides the foundation for the statewide crash database, which is the foundation for crash analysis and contributes to the success of the state’s highway safety program. Accurate reporting of motor vehicle crashes ultimately serves to make Nebraska’s roadways a safer place to travel.”
See how important data is?
The last major update to this Guide was in 2002 – over 20 years ago! Think about how much the nature of crashes has changed since then. In that time our cell phones have been inextricably integrated into our lives (and cars) and vehicle size has increased.
The Forms
I had NO idea how comprehensive these crash reports are. As an aside, notice the use of the term “crash” instead of “accident,” this is important as the word accident implies no one or no thing is at fault, but a “crash” indicates fault, whether shared amongst users or infrastructure.
There are a total of 6 possible forms an enforcement officer could choose from at a crash, including 1) General form, 2) Continuation form, 3) Vehicle Continuation form, 4) Heavy Truck/Bus form, 5) Non-motorist form, and 6) Fatal form.
See the image below from the Manual to understand which form is used for which scenario.
A crash investigation form basically gathers every variable from location (including latitude & longitude) and infrastructure (intersections, road surface, traffic controls, etc) to context (seating arrangement, weather, restraints, helmets, etc) and injury (fatal, serious, suspected serious, minor, none, etc).
The Updated Forms
To better understand the changes to the crash forms, I reached out to Don Butler at the Nebraska Department of Transportation and Lt. Straub of the Omaha Police Department. Butler works for the agency that released the manual, and Straub works for the agency that uses the manual.
It’s Bigger
Yep, the new crash forms have 50% more fields for collecting data! This means a heavier load now for crash investigators but beneficial data for planners and engineers in the future.
Per Don Butler, here are some of the new categories of data that will be collected for these updated crash forms:
Distracted Driving Details
Speeding Details
Additional Roadway Characteristics
Non-Motorist Action & Location Prior to Crash
Additional Details When Crash Involves Fatality
Vehicle Automated Driving Systems
Commercial Motor Vehicle Trailer Details
Drug Impairment Testing
Notice the first category of Distracted Driving. Having officers gather this data will provide the State with a more accurate picture of the severity of distracted driving in Nebraska. Once that data is gathered, it has to be analyzed, interpreted, and then presented. And then, State and Municipality leaders can really start to make some headway on creating solutions to our distracted driving problem.
Every new bit of data that is gathered from the categories above can be used to inform solutions to problems even beyond distracted driving, such as speeding, infrastructure and design, autonomous vehicles, impairment, and more.
Do these new forms change the investigation?
In a nutshell, no, the investigation remains mostly unchanged. Lt Straub explained that while the forms are larger and capture more data for statistical purposes, they don’t really affect the investigation, “it just provides more data.” Think about that – enforcement officers are essentially acting as researchers collecting data to be used down the road for safety measures.
How does this influence Vision Zero?
Vision Zero is data-based, so more data means hopefully better and more accurate decision-making. And after 20 years, it’s great to see the Crash Forms be updated, and it’ll be even better to reap the benefits of all this additional data. But if the City of Omaha expects the Vision Zero Action Plan to be complete this year, how does future data collected via these new forms influence Vision Zero? Well, Vision Zero Action Plans are living documents, such that any new data can inform any updates to a City’s existing Plan - and cities SHOULD update their Vision Zero plans. Additionally, one of Omaha’s Vision Zero goals is to provide more data about crashes on their local dashboard, because at this point only fatalities - not serious injuries - are reported. So these new forms will provide more data (after it goes through the process of analysis and interpretation) that can be presented to the public and decision-makers. Hopefully, in the future, our local dashboard will also include information on distracted driving, and you’ll have NDOT as well as state and local enforcement agencies to thank for that.
* For a recap of the Vision Zero process so far, check out our VZ-focused posts, including:
The First Meeting of the VZ TAC
Vision Zero Update: Guiding Principles & Focus Areas
Navigating Omaha’s Vision Zero Efforts
Vision Zero Update: The Problems, the Solutions, and the Focus Groups
Progress Update on Omaha’s Vision Zero Efforts
Thanks for reading, and please comment below!
Cover image via Unsplash via Getty Images
Progress Update on Omaha’s Vision Zero Efforts
Blog post image is of Tim Adams, the WSP Consultant for the City of Omaha (image by me)
During the week of April 3rd, members from the Vision Zero Technical Advisory Committee met three days in a row for hours at a time to continue the Focus Area Working Group discussions. As we inch closer to the first draft of Omaha’s first Vision Zero Action Plan (VZAP), I’m constantly noticing how complex and complicated this process is.
This update post summarizes the highlights of what I found to be the most memorable and important parts of the three meetings.
PARTNERSHIPS
One major takeaway from the meetings that was first suggested on day one, and was thankfully echoed by the consultants on subsequent days, was the need for public-private partnerships. In a city that has an established preference for public/private relationships, it was suggested that the upcoming VZAP recommend public and private partnerships for projects focused on traffic safety. Not only could this expand the reach of the city, but it could reduce the budgetary burden that comes with Vision Zero projects.
MAYORAL LEADERSHIP
The first day started off with the consultants playing a clip from the Omaha Mayor’s State of the City address, where she expanded on the topic of Vision Zero that she first introduced at the beginning of her speech. It was reemphasized to us that Omaha’s mayor is in full and complete support of Vision Zero. Here’s the transcript of the clip:
This summer, we will present our Vision Zero action plan to the City Council for approval. Vision Zero represents a comprehensive approach to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. This is accomplished through long-term changes in design, construction, and signage for streets, intersections, pedestrian paths, and other modes of transportation. We have joined 40 other communities in the United States and many others worldwide in our Vision Zero commitment. Last year 45 people died in crashes in Omaha, more than those killed in gun violence.
BEHAVIOR
The first day of meetings focused specifically on “behavioral” countermeasures vs “infrastructure” countermeasures that were discussed in the remaining two days of meetings.
SPEEDING - Most countermeasures that will curb speeding are infrastructure-focused, but here are some of the behavioral solutions for speeding including posting frequent speed limit signs, setting speed limits by safety target (ie based on context and users, not the 85th percentile rule), speed feedback signs, automated enforcement (specific to lobbying at the State level for it to be legal), and high-visibility speed enforcement.
High-visibility enforcement is different from regular enforcement.
Per the NHTSA:
High visibility enforcement combines enforcement, visibility elements, and a publicity strategy to educate the public and promote voluntary compliance with the law. Checkpoints, saturation patrols and other HVE strategies should include increased publicity and warnings to the public. Although forewarning the public might seem counterproductive to apprehending violators, it actually increases the deterrent effect.”
It’s basically enforcement with improved outreach and communication, which we appreciate.
Also regarding speeding and enforcement, it was brought up that enforcement is often the missing component to speed-reduction campaigns, but enforcement must be equitable and safe. Since Omaha depends as much on its citizens, as much as the OPD traffic unit to identify unsafe traffic conditions, the city and OPD should improve outreach regarding complaint-driven enforcement requests. To learn more about this, read our recent blog post titled “Perception vs. Reality in Citizen-driven Complaints.”
BICYCLISTS & PEDESTRIANS - Similar to the topic of speed above, pedestrians and cyclists are usually best protected by road design and infrastructure improvements more so than with behavioral changes. But behavioral approaches are still important and are often most effective when targeted.
Most of the behavioral countermeasures outlined by the consultants were focused on youth, while only 1 countermeasure was directed at adults, specifically Pedestrian Safety Zones (“allocating resources to problem areas. Focus on geography, as well as populations (older, younger & impaired pedestrians).”
This ended up being a long discussion about how Vision Zero solutions should be based on data, yet the data does not show that children are the victims of pedestrian or bicycle crashes; adults are. The TAC expects the consultants will likely suggest more behavioral solutions directed toward adults.
An interesting tidbit about age. . . one of the officers at the meeting mentioned that the youngest pedestrian to be killed last year was born in 1980.
It was also brought up that to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, we also need to focus our behavior change on Drivers who share the road with those walking and riding.
MOTORCYCLISTS - There was good discussion on the limited countermeasures offered for motorcyclists; this was likely because Nebraska currently has a primary helmet enforcement law, but the consultants may not have known there is currently a bill in the legislature to repeal the helmet law. It is my understanding this new law would require more safety training of motorcyclists.
I am not a motorcyclist, but I love engaging with them about their choice to wear or not wear a helmet. And if our helmet law is repealed, it may come down to boosting not just education but engagement with our local motorcycle residents AND education and engagement with drivers as we have already lost two motorcyclists to traffic crashes this year.
ALCOHOL - While I am nearly a teetotaler in the negative way I view alcohol abuse, I’m always stunned by how little I know about our current alcohol laws, programs, etc. That’s why the TAC is lucky to have folks like Chris, from Project Extra Mile and Eric from the Nebraska Chapter of the National Safety Council on the team because they are experts in this area.
One of the behavioral countermeasures for alcohol was to lobby at the state level for lower BAC (blood alcohol concentration) for repeat offenders, 0.05 specifically. This led to a conversation about laws in other states, current laws (both those enforced and not enforced), as well as conversation about how many of our state laws thwart any really good solutions we’d like to enact as a city.
SPEAKING OF THE STATE
Home Rule allows Omaha and Lincoln (cities over 5,000 pop) some autonomy in their government, however:
Thus we continue to be subject to State laws that may thwart our best attempts at keeping people safe. While there was an interesting conversation around recommending more autonomy at the city level, many in the meeting basically said it’s a lost cause, and we just have to accept the laws coming out of the legislature.
As examples, automated enforcement is currently illegal at the State level, and we have no primary enforcement laws for seat belts or distracted driving at the State level.
The VZAP will recommend lobbying at the State level for safer laws.
DAY 2 & Day 3
Days 2 and 3 were focused on infrastructure solutions. These two days were absolutely packed with discussion, debate, and questions. Since we are still in the planning stages, what I will share here will be more about some tidbits that I found mind-changing or revelatory.
INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE
A common theme from all these meetings is the expansive expertise and care of all the members. The reason there was so much debate is that there was so much sharing of knowledge.
We absolutely need some iteration of the VZ TAC or a new VZ committee to continue after the VZAP has been adopted. Their role could include oversight, recommendations, monitoring, etc., etc. The change that could be brought about by a Vision Zero Action Plan AND an interdisciplinary team of safety experts could be monumental.
TWO TYPES OF CHANGE
The VZAP will look at both systemic AND targeted change, where systemic can be applied pretty much anywhere and targeted is more specific.
BEST PRACTICES VS GROUND EXPERIENCE
Be aware of the gap between “best practices” and the pedestrians’, cyclists’, or drivers’ on-the-ground experience.
WE’VE GOT THE LIGHTS
Omaha has a lot of signalized intersections! We have about 1,000 compared to Kansas City’s 600.
STATE ROAD REGS
There are state regulations for roads that all cities and municipalities must comply with, and this is for reasons of safety and liability. We learned that this strict adherence to state statutes regarding roads means that no matter the size of the town or the expertise of the local traffic engineer, every community in Nebraska can be guaranteed safe, responsible road design.
COST-BENEFIT VS ROI
When looking at the cost of solutions and countermeasures, the “benefit of cost” is not the same as “return on investment,” meaning the city won’t get cash back on any money it spends on VZ projects, but it will get benefits like the intrinsic value of life, fewer insurance costs, fewer emergency costs, fewer lawsuits, less loss of profit, etc.
HOW WILL WE. . . .
An interesting question that was asked at the meeting but wasn’t answered remains with me, “As we continue to build out the urban core again, how do make it even safer?”
. . . PAY FOR IT?
Upgrades and Vision Zero projects are going to cost a lot of freaking money. If you’re not in the industry, it may be lost on you just how much signal upgrades, road diets, etc, can cost.
For example, a typical pavement-marking-only road diet (meaning no road tear-up or construction) can cost $100,000 per mile. Further, sometimes these pavement-marking-only projects STILL require signal upgrades, which can also cost a lot.
Since implementing Vision Zero projects will cost money, there was a lot of open-ended discussion about how to
a) acquire and ensure funding and
b) prioritize that funding and use it efficiently.
I can’t say anything was answered in this meeting about that, but money drives society, unfortunately, and currently, there is no funding specifically allocated for VZ projects.
How would you fund Vision Zero projects?
The topic of equity and funding was brought up a lot as well, so many members of the TAC are proponents of making sure funding is prioritized in equity areas, which also makes sense as it is in the equity areas of Omaha where most of the fatal and serious injury crashes occur.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Since the meetings spanned nearly 8 hours, this is a quick summary of some interesting talking points. The results of these meetings will be relayed by the consultants to the Vision Zero Executive Committee, and then the TAC will reconvene in May.
Do you have any questions about this process? Pop them in the comments below or feel free to keep up with the TAC here on Omaha’s Vision Zero website.
Thanks for reading!
~ Trilety