CONFERENCES

2008 Traffic Records Forum:
34th International Forum on Traffic Records and Highway Safety Systems will take place during July 27 - 31, 2008 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida.

This International forum is the largest of its kind.  In the past, over 500+ attendees have represented the many disciplines involved in the field of traffic safety data collection and analysis.  Attendees will have the opportunity to network with their peers, gain valuable insight on traffic records information systems improvements, see first hand the latest technologies available and hear critical updates needed to continue advancement in their systems.

To find the latest information on this forum please visit:
The Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals at www.astip.org.

Call for Presentations:

The 34th ATSIP Scientific Program Committee invites presentations on research and program studies relating to the six Core Highway Safety Data Systems:  these are Crash, Roadway, Driver, Vehicle, Citation/Adjudication, and Injury Surveillance information collection, management and use.

Emphasis is being placed on providing examples of how data is being used or can be used to make sound decisions for highway safety.

Presentation topics should address issues within or across these Core Data Systems, with emphasis on improved use of data and research to reduce injuries and fatalities on our highways.  Submissions will be accepted for 20 minute presentations or either 90 minute or 2 hour sessions.  Full session submissions should include information on all included presenters/presentations as well as the name of the moderator. All speakers/moderators must register for the Forum.

To have your presentation/session considered for inclusion in the 2008 Forum, you will need to provide the following information:

1) Submitter and Presenter (if different) Contact Information (Name, Title, Organization, Mailing Address, Telephone, Fax, and Email Address),
2) Presenter Bio,
3) Core Highway Safety Data System(s), employed or studied in presentation,
4) Title of Presentation,
5) Two or three sentence Description of Presentation for inclusion in program, and
6) Short Abstract of Presentation.

(In the case of full session requests please provide a Session Title, Moderator Name/Contact Information as well as the above information on all presenters)

The sooner you can get your presentations in, the better chance you’ve got if there is a particular day or time slot you’d like to ask for.  The final date for submitting presentations is February 25, 2008.

The 34th International Forum on Traffic Records & Highway Safety Systems will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida July 25-31, 2008.

All presentation submissions and questions should be directed to:
R. Robert Rasmussen, II
ATSIP Forum Program Chair
Traffic Engineering Division
Virginia Department of Transportation
1401 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone (804) 786-6219
Email Robert.Rasmussen@vdot.virginia.gov

BEST PRACTICES CHALLENGE FOR 2008:

Period for submitting applications is from December 2007 till the end of February 2008. Winners will be recognized at the 2008 Traffic Records Forum in Orlando, Florida. As we all know, traffic records is the vital tool needed for reducing motor vehicle crashes. Experts in both public and private safety arenas, stress the importance of making the best data available for safety programs to be the most effective. Projects to improve data capture, manipulation and evaluation are experiencing great success throughout the country and the world. Best Practices seeks to bring as many of these projects to the forefront as possible so we may all benefit now and in the years to come.

Applications for Best Practices recognition should address the focus of each of the six National Agenda goals: Leadership – Coordination – Integration – Technology – Training – Standards

Does the Best Practices candidate:

1. Involve a leader(s) who promotes the importance of highway safety information systems, used for safety policy and program decision-making?

2. Involve the coordination of the collection, management, and use of highway safety information among various organizations responsible for highway transportation policy?

3. Represent an example of integrating the planning of highway safety programs with highway safety information systems?

4. Represent an example where managers and users of highway safety information have utilized or were provided the necessary resources to select the appropriate technology to meet their information needs?

5. Represent examples of highway safety professionals being trained in the analytic methods appropriate for evaluation of highway safety information?

6. Involve the promotion and use of technical standards for characteristics of highway safety information systems, critical to the development and management of highway transportation safety programs and policies?

A comprehensive Traffic Records System must support the following major steps:

(1) Establish Safety Goals, (2) Identify Problems, (3) Plan Programs/Countermeasures, (4) Implement Programs, (5) Monitor Program Operations, and (6) Evaluate Effectiveness.

Successful candidates for Best Practices should improve support for one or more of these management steps to highway safety. The management approach is complementary to National Agenda goals.

If you have any immediate questions or comments regarding this year’s best practices competition, please contact the Chair of the Best Practices Committee:

BEST PRACTICES WEB PAGE CHALLENGE FOR 2008:

A wealth of information exists on the Internet. This questionnaire, and a visit to your web site, will provide the means of evaluation for the committee to select and award the governmental agency that makes the most complete and accurate traffic records safety information available to the public.

Characteristics we will be considering include:
Ease in getting to the site,
Navigating the site,
Querying the data,
Availability of multiple years of data, in the most user-friendly way.

If you would like your web site to be considered for this recognition, please complete the following short questionnaire and forward it by e-mail as an attachment to Tim Kerns (tkerns@som.umaryland.edu) by February 29, 2008.  E-mail attachments are preferred; however, proposals may be mailed to the address listed below.

Winning websites will be highlighted at the 2008 Traffic Records Forum in Orlando, Florida.

1. Web Page Address proposed for Consideration
2. Agency Submitting
3. Contact’s Name, Title and Address
4. Contact’s Phone Number
5. Contact’s E-mail Address

Traffic Records Data Components - Please Complete As Appropriate To the Web Page:

Crash Data
• ______ Number of Years of Data Available At the Site That May Be Queried
• ______ Most Current Year of Data Available
• ______ % of Crash Report information available on the web site
• ______ % MMUCC Compliant

Integration of data - can data in files be linked with other files by common identifiers?

Is a selection of canned reports available?

Is an on line manual or help function available to assist users with navigating and accessing data on the site?

1) What, in your opinion, is the web sites best feature?
2) How would you improve the site?
3) How often is the site updated?
4) Is the web page agency designed or was a vendor used?
5) Are levels of access to data permitted according to need or status?
6) Does the Statewide Traffic Records Coordinating Committee approve updates/changes to the page?
7) What Agency has responsibility for maintaining the site?
8) Describe any further improvements you intend to make.
9) Does the agency advertise the site? How?

 Mailing address for paper submissions:

Tim Kerns
Chair of the Best Practices Committee
National Study Center for Trauma/EMS
University of Maryland Baltimore
701 West Pratt Street, Box-001
Baltimore, MD 21201
Office (410)328-4244
Fax (410)328-3699
Email tkerns@som.umaryland.edu