Complete Listing of Forum Attendeess (.pdf)

IMPACT 2K
DATA COLLECTION SOFTWARE

Planned Cost: 220,000+
Actual Cost: 220,000

Agenda Goals:

The most significant features of the software include:

· Making crash reporting completely paperless

· Creating more accurate data

· Saving time for law enforcement and the IOHS

· Allowing the electronic transfer of crash reports to the State

· Increasing the speed and ease of locating and printing individual reports

· Creating an online approval process for law enforcement

· Adding an additional level of data backup

Strategic Plan:

More accurate, complete and timely Police Accident Report filing.

Project Benefits:

Making crash reporting completely paperless: Crash reports created on IMPACT 2K can now be stored in a database at the local law enforcement agency and electronically transmitted via the Internet to the IOHS, making the law enforcement’s crash reporting system completely paperless. Retrieving a report is as simple as entering the date, name, or other identifying information to pull up the crash report.

Creating more accurate data: With over 90 online edits, IMPACT 2K creates more accurate crash data. The edits are designed to help lead the officer to make the correct selection on the report. In addition to the edits, many of the fields require an entry. Unlike paper reports, officers can not leave fields blank.

Saving time for law enforcement and the IOHS: Law enforcement officers are telling the IOHS that they can complete a crash report on IMPACT 2K in less than half the time it takes to complete the paper version. IMPACT 2K is also saving time and money for the IOHS. Electronically transferred crash reports no longer require someone in the IOHS to manually enter report details into a database. Electronically transferred reports automatically appear in the data entry operators screen and do not need to be re-keyed, which has significantly sped up the process of getting crash reports into the Statewide Crash Database. Data entry technicians are able to edit electronically transferred reports 2.5 to 3 times faster than paper reports.

Allowing the electronic transfer of crash reports to the State: Crash reports created electronically can now be stored in the IMPACT 2K database at the local law enforcement agency and transmitted via the Internet, eliminating the need to make paper copies and mail them to the IOHS.

Increasing the speed and ease of locating and printing individual reports: Law enforcement agencies using IMPACT 2K no longer have to keep file drawers of paper crash reports, which are cumbersome to store and often difficult to locate. With IMPACT 2K, if law enforcement personnel need to view or print a crash report, they simply search the database using date, name, or other identifying information to locate the report.

Creating an online approval process for law enforcement: IMPACT 2K has an approval process that allows law enforcement supervisors to review crash reports online. If a mistake is found, the report can be electronically returned to the officer for correction with a touch of a button. Once the crash is approved, it is electronically transmitted to the IOHS. The software is built to track all crash reports in the system to assure that they are transmitted to the IOHS.

Narrative:

Along with traditional tools of the trade, law enforcement officers around Idaho are incorporating high-tech equipment when they are on the scene of motor vehicle crashes. A software program called Idaho Mobile Program for Accident Collection (IMPACT 2K) makes it easier and faster for officers to fully report the details surrounding traffic crashes. The software creates an electronic version of the standard Idaho Vehicle Crash Report that can be completed at the scene of a crash.

IMPACT 2K was developed and released in May 2002 by the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety (IOHS). The use of IMPACT 2K makes vehicle crash reporting easier and faster for officers in the field and the data more accurate and timely. Although the software has only been available since May 2002, 87 percent of Idaho’s law enforcement agencies are using the software. Of participating agencies, over half are electronically transferring crash reports to the IOHS. It is anticipated that in 2003, more than half of the crash reports will be electronically transferred. The most significant features of the software include:

· Making crash reporting completely paperless

· Creating more accurate data

· Saving time for law enforcement and the IOHS

· Allowing the electronic transfer of crash reports to the State

· Increasing the speed and ease of locating and printing individual reports

· Creating an online approval process for law enforcement

· Adding an additional level of data backup

Major Processes:

Law enforcement officers filling out paper PAR's in Idaho not only encountered the universal problems that are inherent with an on the scene crash investigation, but also experienced, especially in rural area's (the location of most of Idaho's fatalities) the natural obstacles presented by the remoteness, weather and terrain, so that the reporting system had more pronounced flaws than other more areas of the country. The quality of Idaho's PAR's suffered with little chance of improvement over the years. The subsequent delays and and inaccuracies, as well as the inability to correct mistakes after the report left the officer's control had to be addressed. The development of the software program called Idaho Mobile Program for Accident Collection (IMPACT 2K) was done by Mark Strait almost exclusively with much personal time involved. The most important step after the development of the software was to get the backing of the law enforcement community in Idaho, and address any budgetary concerns for the equipment and training. After these concerns were addressed the software was successfully released in May 2002, and now is used enthusiastically by over 87% of the law enforcement community in Idaho, and will hopefully be 100% of law enforcement agencies in the near future.

Benefits: