FMCSA Safety and Security Accomplishments

Office of Research and Analysis
Washington, DC
January 22, 2006

What Programs are Available to States to Improve Data Quality?

Betsy Benkowski
Sr. Transportation Specialist
Analysis Division

FMCSA Data Quality Programs

1. What is the DataQs Program?

• It is:
  • A single location for data challenge entry and response
  • A web-based interface to view the status of data challenges and supporting documentation through-out the challenge process
  • A support tool that assists FMCSA and States in generating responses
• It is not:
  • A change in either the State or FMCSA data correction guidelines
  • A system that allows or requires FMCSA to intervene in the State data correction process

1. DataQs Challenge-Type Breakdown

FMCSA Data Quality Programs

2. Ongoing Evaluation of State Safety Data Quality

• Objective: To evaluate the completeness, timeliness, accuracy and consistency of the State-reported crash and roadside inspection data in the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS).

2. Evaluation Methodology

2. Generate Quarterly Results

2. How the Evaluation Results Improved Online

18 Month Comparison of Overall State Ratings

FMCSA Data Quality Programs

3. What is Monthly Monitoring of State Data Quality?

• A program that assists FMCSA and States to:
  • Monitor State-reported CMV crash and inspection data quality on a monthly basis
  • Measure progress towards the quarterly State data quality rating
  • Analyze current and historical MCMIS and DataQs management reports
  • Provide current status and historical trends of CMV data quality

3. What Analysis is Conducted in the Monthly Monitoring Process?

• Review of MCMIS Online Reports
  • Review 8 reports
  • Crash & inspection timeliness, accuracy, and duplicate analysis
  • Identify Discrepancies
• Review DataQs Management Reports
  • Indication of persistent problems in data collection or correction
  • Review data challenges entered and open over certain time limits

3. How are Monthly Monitoring Results Presented?

Results provide historic view of data quality

State Crash Timeliness Historical Report

FMCSA Data Quality Programs

4. What is the UMTRI Analysis of State Crash Data?

• Provides an analysis of the State's data reporting to the FMCSA MCMIS file
• Similar evaluation method for each State
• State police accident report (PAR) file is evaluated for all reportable crashes
• Comparison of the PAR case file to the MCMIS Crash file

4. UMTRI Analysis of State Crash Data

• Outcomes
  • Determine the nature and extent of underreporting
  • Determine patterns of MCMIS crash file under- or over-reporting
  • Determine sources of under- or over-reporting
• List of Reports
  • California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio

FMCSA Data Quality Programs

5. What is the FMCSA State Data Quality Review Program?

• FMCSA team goes on-site to a State to:
  • Review a State's crash and roadside inspection collection and reporting processes
  • Works with the States to identify areas for improving the data quality, and establishing methods for monitoring the effectiveness of the improvements

5. What is the status of the FMCSA State Data Quality Review Program?

• Conducted Pilot in New Hampshire – June 2005
• Conducting assessment in North Carolina – January 2006
• Conducting 1 State Data Quality Review Every Quarter

FMCSA Data Quality Programs

6. Analysis of State PARs

FMCSA Data Quality Programs

7. What is Safety Data Improvement Funding?

• SaDIP – State Safety Data Improvement Program
• Provides funding via grants and cooperative agreements to State agencies to help them improve the collection and reporting of eligible large truck and bus safety data

7. Safety Data Improvement Funding

Projects Initiated by States

• Hire staff to manage data quality improvement programs
• Revise outdated crash report forms
• Hire staff to code and enter crash data
• Train law enforcement officers in collecting crash data
• Develop software to transfer data from the State repository to SAFETYNET
• Purchase equipment to support data quality activities
• Purchase software for field data collection and data transfer

7. Safety Data Improvement Funding

A&I Data Quality Module

• Presents data quality analysis and reports
• Located in A&I Online website http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov
• Provides quarterly evaluations of State-reported data in MCMIS
• Provides an electronic means for filing concerns about Federal and State data
• Access tools for developing State strategic plans (e.g., CVSPs, State safety plan, etc.)

A&I Data Quality Module

Safety Data Improvement Funding

Contact
Betsy Benkowski
(202) 366-5387
Betsy.Benkowski@fmcsa.dot.gov
http://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov