New computerized collision diagram software will soon help MoDOT districts more efficiently identify intersection crash patterns, which will increase safety and save the department valuable time and resources. The increased focus on crash analysis is a result of Missouri’s Blueprint for Safer Roads and the federal highway bill, SAFETEA-LU, which concentrates on highway safety. 

“Identifying crash patterns is vital in helping us find ways to make the roads safer,” said Brian Chandler, MoDOT traffic safety engineer. “Analysis of crash types, weather conditions, time of day, etc. can give engineers the information they need to make good decisions.”

In the past, these intersection diagrams have required the review of each crash report and then a hand drawing of the collision. This process will now be automated through the Transportation Management System (TMS).

“The time savings are significant with this new system,” Chandler said. “On average, it can take hours to fully complete a complex collision diagram by hand, where the new software can do it in a few minutes or less.”

Minimal training is needed to use the new program. When creating a collision diagram with the new system, a user simply selects an intersection and an icon will appear in TMS to automatically create the collision diagram.

The new system will be fundamental in an upcoming project that will provide in-depth analyses of crash patterns on the state’s highway corridors.