Patterns of MCMIS Crash File underreporting in Ohio

Abstract

In an earlier study, we showed that reporting to the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) Crash file is significantly incomplete. Between 62% and 67% of reportable truck crashes are actually reported to the file, while only about 40% of bus crashes are reported each year. While rates of reporting have improved since the start of the MCMIS file, it appears that reporting has stabilized at a low rate in recent years. Reporting rates are higher for more severe crashes. About 90% of trucks involved in a fatal crash are reported, and about 65% of bus fatal involvements. Reporting rates are lower for less severe crashes. The MCMIS Crash file is fundamentally a compilation of crash data from the states. Accordingly, the sources of underreporting will be found at the state level. In this paper, we will examine one state to explore the sources of the underreporting to the MCMIS file. Ohio has been selected for this purpose. Ohio is a major industrial state that sits on a major east-west truck route, Interstate 80. In recent years, according to UMTRI’s Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) file, Ohio had the fifth greatest number of fatal truck involvements of all the states, and accounted for about 3.8% of all trucks involved in a fatal crash. Accordingly, Ohio ought to have a large number of crash-involved trucks to report to the MCMIS file.