“On average, roughly 37,000 people die every year on U.S. roads, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knows virtually all there is to know about those accidents. Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the organization compiles some 200 data points—including speed, direction, passengers’ seating arrangements, vehicle make, model and more—on every fatal collision that occurs on U.S. roads. The FARS and reports like it contain insights policymakers could use to improve traffic safety in their jurisdictions, he said, but they’re too often buried within extensive, monotonous data tables. While it’s unlikely the government will use analytics tools to make sweeping transportation policy changes, the agency could eventually create best practices for adopting data-driven policies at the state and local level, he said. And while there are some issues where lawmakers might debate the merits of data-driven policy, safety is something Kan thinks everyone can stand behind.”
Source: Transportation Wants to Use Data to Predict Accidents and Make Roads Safer – Nextgov
