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Introduction
The Utah Crash
Summary is produced each year to identify
and describe the trends and effects of
traffic crashes in Utah. These statistics
describe the factors that contribute to
the occurrence of crashes, and crash
related injuries and fatalities.
This report is designed to heighten
awareness about traffic safety by
allowing safety program specialists and
public health personnel to identify areas
where education or programs may be
designed to reduce traffic related
injuries and fatalities.
Law enforcement officials throughout the
state collect data from crash scenes on
public roadways. Information is
collected when a crash involves injuries,
fatalities, when the jurisdiction in
which the crash occurs requires it or
when the responding officer determines
that a report is warranted.
Crash reports are forwarded to the Utah
Department of Transportation (UDOT) for
central collection. UDOT reviews the
crash report forms and enters the data
into a large database, the Crash Analysis
Reporting System (CARS). Beginning
in 1997, all private property crashes
were excluded from CARS. Since private
property crashes account for
approximately 10% of the previous years
crashes, the 11% decrease in crashes for
1997 is due in part to the exclusion of
private property crashes.
Additional information is collected on
fatal crashes and compiled into a
separate database, the Fatality Analysis
Reporting System (FARS). The number of
fatal crashes is reported from the FARS
database. This report was prepared
by Stacey Knight, Larry Cook, Pat
Nechodom, Amy Lightfoot, Lenora Olson and
Edma Diller of the Utah Crash Outcome
Data Evaluation System (CODES) project
located at the University of Utah School
of Medicine, Intermountain Injury Control
Research Center.
For more information, please contact:
Utah Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System
(CODES)
410 Chipeta Way, Suite 222
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
(801) 581-6410
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