CISS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has collected crash data since the early 1970s to support its mission to reduce motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and deaths on our Nation’s highways. NHTSA’s crash data collection program consists of the Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS), the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS), Special Crash Investigations (SCI), Non-Traffic Surveillance (NTS), the Crash Injury Research & Engineering Network (CIREN), and special studies conducted to address various safety topics. The CISS builds on the retiring, long running National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS CDS). CISS collects detailed crash data to help scientists and engineers analyze motor vehicle crashes and injuries. CISS collects data on a representative sample of minor, serious, and fatal crashes involving at least one passenger vehicle – cars, light trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans – towed from the scene.
How It Works
After a crash has been sampled, trained Crash Technicians obtain data from crash sites by documenting scene evidence such as skid marks, fluid spills, and struck objects. They locate the vehicles involved, document the crash damage and identify interior components that were contacted by the occupants. On-site inspections are followed-up with confidential interviews of the crash victims and a review of medical records for injuries sustained in the crash. CISS uses emerging technologies and methods to acquire quality data.
The Crash Technicians are interested only in information that will help them understand the nature and outcome of the crashes.
Personal information such as names, addresses, license and registration numbers, and even specific crash locations are not included in public CISS files.
Sampling
CISS randomly selects thousands of police crash reports at law enforcement agencies in selected areas across the country. The areas reflect the geography, population, miles driven, and crashes in the United States. To be eligible for the CISS sample, a crash must involve at least one towed passenger vehicle.
