What Value May Geographic Information Systems Add To The Art Of Identifying Crash Countermeasures

Geographic Info. Systems (GIS) can be employed to relate, organize, and analyze roadway and crash data, thereby facilitating crash countermeasure identification and evaluation. GIS cannot, however, replace the role of the local analyst as a problem solver who needs to interpret results and recommend engineering, enforcement, or educ. improvements. Using the PC-based Micro Traffic Records System (MTRS), a software packaged employed in Virginia that records crashes at either a specific intersection or between 2 cross streets, it was possible to place 82% of the MTRS crash locations within a GIS. Without crashes that were demarcated at ¿private property¿ locations, the placement rate climbs to 94% for intersection locations. Illus.