NHTSA Traffic Records Program Assessment Advisory

This updated Traffic Records Program Assessment Advisory gives States information on the contents, capabilities, and data quality of an effective traffic records system by describing an ideal system that supports high-quality decisions and leads to cost-effective improvements in highway and traffic safety.

In addition, the updated Advisory outlines a comprehensive approach for assessing the systems and processes that govern the collection, management, and analysis of traffic records data. The Advisory now provides a uniform set of questions derived from the ideal system as described above. The questions are used by a group of qualified independent assessors to determine how close a State’s capabilities come to the described ideal. There are three gradations: (a) meets the description of the ideal traffic records system, (b) partially meets the ideal description, and (c) does not meet the ideal description. The Advisory also provides State respondents with standards of evidence that identify the specific information necessary to answer each assessment question. This assessment instrument highlights a State traffic records system’s strengths as well as opportunities for improvement.