Evaluation of 2006 Kentucky crash data reported to the MCMIS Crash File

Abstract

This report is part of a series evaluating the data reported to the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) Crash File undertaken by the Center for National Truck and Bus Statistics at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. The earlier studies showed that reporting to the MCMIS Crash File was incomplete. This report examines the factors that are associated with reporting rates for the state of Kentucky. MCMIS Crash File records were matched to records from the Kentucky Traffic Collision Report data to determine the nature and extent of underreporting. Overall, it appears that Kentucky is reporting 60.2 percent of crash involvements that should be reported to the MCMIS Crash file. Reporting rates were related to crash severity, with 84.9 percent of fatal involvements reported, and injury/transported and tow/disabled crashes reported at 58.7 percent and 60.2 percent respectively. Reporting rates were much higher for trucks (64.3 percent) than buses (6.3 percent). The highest reporting rate was for tractor-semitrailers (88.0 percent) and the lowest rate was for school buses (3.5 percent). Reporting rates also varied by the type of investigation agency (state police, sheriff, or city police). Missing data rates are exceptionally low for most variables reported to the MCMIS Crash file. There were no serious inconsistencies between data reported to the MCMIS file and recorded in the Kentucky crash data.