Major Flaws in the U.S. Car Crash Reporting System

The lack of a nationwide standard and extensive officer discretion lead to inconsistent data when it comes to traffic crashes and fatalities.

2 minute read

July 29, 2021, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Crash

GUNDAM_Ai / Shutterstock

On the heels of "an explosive Washington, D.C., study that showed police had failed to record as much as 30 percent of 911 calls about drivers striking pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users, with crashes going unreported most often in Black and brown neighborhoods," reports Kea Wilson. Advocates in Washington, D.C., for example, "say that as much as 40 percent of crashes in mostly Black areas may go uncounted — so  District leaders may not even know where its most dangerous corridors are, much less have the specific data they need to fix them."

This underreporting of crashes, writes Wilson, "isn’t the only reason why U.S. communities don’t have a full picture of our national traffic-violence epidemic." Other important factors include: the lack of a federal crash-reporting standard; the flawed standard currently recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which omits important details such as "how far a walker who’s struck by a driver might be from the nearest unobstructed crosswalk" and vehicle height and weight; and the amount of discretion officers have in choosing what information to collect and report. 

Rohit T. Aggarwala, senior fellow at Cornell Tech and author of an op-ed encouraging Secretary Buttigieg to reform the Fatality Analysis and Reporting System (FARS), "hopes that, with the right reforms, much subjectivity can be stripped from crash reporting" so cities can have more accurate data when making Vision Zero plans.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 in Streetsblog L.A.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

2 hours ago - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

3 hours ago - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

4 hours ago - CNU Public Square

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.