Collecting Crash Data to Improve Native American Traffic Safety
Posted: May 4, 2022
Researchers at North Dakota State University studied crash reporting by four Indian tribes to develop a pragmatic approach that tribes can refine based on objectives related to accountability, sovereignty, and system integrity. With motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of American Indian unintentional injury for ages 1 to 44, enormous traffic safety benefits can be derived from a crash reporting system that holds essential, non-personally identifiable information. This information can be used to identify key factors leading to crashes and to help identify and prioritize effective crash prevention strategies. The study shows that electronically documenting motor vehicle crash event data is plausible with commitment from tribes and support from other stakeholders.
Kimberly Vachal, Ph.D. North Dakota State University
Researchers at North Dakota State University studied crash reporting by four Indian tribes to develop a pragmatic approach that tribes can refine based on objectives related to accountability, sovereignty, and system integrity. With motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of American Indian unintentional injury for ages 1 to 44, enormous traffic safety benefits can be derived from a crash reporting system that holds essential, non-personally identifiable information. This information can be used to identify key factors leading to crashes and to help identify and prioritize effective crash prevention strategies. The study shows that electronically documenting motor vehicle crash event data is plausible with commitment from tribes and support from other stakeholders.