Four Traffic Safety Research Grants Awarded to UMassSafe

UMassSafe was awarded four traffic safety research grants totaling over $750,000. Research projects are sponsored by Mass Department of State Police, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Mass Registry of Motor Vehicles, Mass Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Full details on the grants are listed below:

Crash Data Accepted With Warning Project - Part II
Budget: $133,899.10
Sponsor: Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
The Massachusetts (MA) Registry of Motor Vehicles’ Division (RMV) uses a crash report data submission warning process by which they accept inaccurate and/or incomplete crash reports with a warning and provide immediate feedback to the submitting law enforcement agencies. This process is called Accepted with Warning (AWW). The main purpose of this project is to provide RMV with the tools and assistance the Law Enforcement Liaison  needs in working with law enforcement. UMassSafe will analyze current data quality trends to assist the RMV in selecting additional crash report fields to be incorporated into the AWW process, as well as develop more complex accuracy checks, followed by the creation of data quality reports for statewide, law enforcement agency and record management. Finally, an automated process for data dissemination reports will be established.

Crash E-Manual Phase Two: Further Improvements to Data Quality Control Program by Providing Crash Reporting Resources for Law Enforcement
Budget: $184,898.94

Sponsor: Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Office of Grants and Research with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Section 405-c  funds
Expanding upon a previous grant to build the web-based Massachusetts Law Enforcement Crash Report E-Manual and associated crash data dictionary, this project will add additional content, features and functionality, and further promote its use. Activities will include soliciting user feedback to determine content relevance, additional needs and site usability, adding an interactive overlay of the crash report to offer a new way of navigating and training, and engaging in promotion through law enforcement agencies and training curriculums.

Updating and Expanding Law Enforcement Crash Report Training Towards Improved Crash Data Quality
Budget: $164,810.82
Sponsor: Massachusetts Department of State Police
This project’s goal is to improve the crash report training for new law enforcement cadets as well as established Troopers’, as a means of significantly improving crash data quality and its effectiveness in preventing future crashes. In order to accomplish this, UMassSafe will conduct a thorough review of existing training for Massachusetts and other states, develop a curriculum based on those findings, pilot test this curriculum and evaluate its effectiveness.

Promoting Safety, Compliance and Business: Advancing Best Practices for Technology Applications to Prevent Commercial Vehicle Crashes

Budget: $306,901.66

Sponsor: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, US Department of Transportation

This project will develop and implement a Northeast Regional Summit – Promoting Safety, Compliance & Business: Advancing Best Practices for Technology Applications to Prevent Commercial Vehicle Crashes. This Summit will be a means of promoting sharing, development and deployment of innovative practices and safety technologies, advocate for a culture of safety, identify needs, and establish partnerships. Additionally, a collection of best practice resources and activities will be added to the Commercial Vehicle-Safety Technical Assistance Center, an online center for supporting and augmenting CMV safety.