Virginia TREDS Into the New Frontier of Safety

In February 2012, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled its new interactive crash database. The Traffic Records Electronic Data System, or TREDS, provides accurate, timely, and detailed highway safety information. This enables residents, researchers, and safety advocates to access vehicle accident data and analyze the results. Whereas before, individuals had to request information from a number of agencies, that information is now immediately available to anyone who has access to the Internet.

The capabilities of TREDS include the following:

electronic submission of police crash reports;

scanning of DMV crash data paper reports;

electronic mapping to inform crash data report preparation;

electronic crash diagramming; and

integration with other data systems for comprehensive data gathering and analysis.

TREDS is designed to create public awareness, provide one centralized location for accident statistics, and make Virginia’s roadways safer.

Using TREDS, researchers can input a specific time period and retrieve data on vehicle accidents in a selected location. This way, they can create a crash facts report tailored to their individual needs or interests. Identifying times and locations that are prone to accidents can point to accident trends, thereby enabling the appropriate facilities to address the circumstances that lead to crashes.

We applaud this state-of-the-art information integration system. We look forward to the benefits that will surely result from increased access to information that can enable us to identify dangerous traffic situations and thereby correct or avoid them. Bravo, Virginia!