Idaho’s system for collecting and storing traffic records is due for a check-up.

Representatives from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which provides federal grants to fund a variety of Idaho highway safety programs, will conduct a detailed review of how ITD manages traffic safety information next week (Aug. 15-19).

The review is part of a federal grant that requires the state’s traffic record data-collection systems to be assessed every five years. Scheduled for review are the injury surveillance system, crash records, citation and adjudication records, driver and vehicle records and roadway information.

“The assessment covers the components of the six systems by evaluating strengths and challenges,” said Margaret Goertz, ITD’s traffic records grant officer. “The resulting report will provide a guide for improving and evaluating the systems.”

Team members participating in the Idaho Traffic Records Assessment are:

• Cynthia Burch, Pikesville, Md., an epidemiologist at the National Study Center for Trauma & EMS at the University of Maryland;
• Robert A. Scopatz, Ph.D., Lauderdale, Minn., director of consulting and government services with Data Nexus Inc.;
• Langston Spell, Lake Wales, Fla., a consultant who has had a long career in the field of traffic records systems and data exchange;
• Joan Vecci, Littleton, Colo., retired senior director of the Motor Vehicle Division in the Colorado Department of Revenue; and
• Jack Zogby, Duncannon, Penn., former deputy secretary for safety administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Additional participants and observers are Kathy Zogby, administrative support; Clay Hatch, assessment facilitator; and Greg Fredericksen, regional program manager, NHTSA Region X.

A pre-assessment questionnaire was completed before the team’s arrival. While onsite, they will meet with members of state and local law enforcement, local engineers, metropolitan planning organizations, the courts, EMS Bureau, Trauma Registry, Vital Statistics, DMV, ITD engineers and OHS personnel before compiling their final Traffic Records Assessment document.

Published 8-12-2011