Crash Data Acquisition Network (CDAN)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is authorized by 49 U.S.C. § 30182 and 23 U.S.C. § 403 to collect data on motor vehicle traffic crashes to aid in the identification of issues and the development, implementation, and evaluation of motor vehicle and highway safety countermeasures. The information collected serves to identify and develop safety countermeasures that will reduce deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes.

NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) provides in-depth analytical, investigative, and statistical analysis of data it collects to support the agency’s safety mission. NCSA’s analyses are used by NHTSA, other operating administrations in the U.S. Department of Transportation (e.g., Federal Highway Administration), and the public, including the motor vehicle safety community.    

The Crash Data Acquisition Network (CDAN) is an integrated, web-based information technology system that provides a single, central IT platform that maintains the data NCSA requires to analyze vehicle crash data and identify outcomes, causal factors, and vehicle and component performance. NCSA obtains data through a number of information collections, also called studies, and additional manufacturer information pursuant to NHTSA regulatory requirements. The data collected by NCSA are stored and maintained in CDAN.  

These crash data collections are centered on the Police Accident Report (PAR), the forms law enforcement agencies use to document a motor vehicle crash.  NCSA collects a PAR from cooperating police jurisdictions and custodial agencies in each State. In addition to data derived from the PAR, NCSA may obtain additional information to further the understanding of a crash, its causal factors, or outcomes. This information may be obtained from medical records, on-site crash investigations, toxicology reports, etc. This additional information is also stored and maintained in CDAN.