NCJ Number
206814
Journal
Crime Mapping News Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2004 Pages: 1,4,7
Date Published
2004
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes North Carolina’s experimental use of an inexpensive global positioning system (GPS) to examine the geographic relationship between enforcement presence and truck-involved crashes.
Abstract
North Carolina is among the top 10 States in the Nation in terms of fatal truck-involved crashes. In an attempt to target enforcement efforts and reduce the number of truck-involved crashes, the State’s Motor Carrier section of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) is experimenting with an inexpensive GPS system and “event capture” technology. The system provides an integrated geographic information system (GIS) data analysis tool for the analysis of the spatial attributes of truck-involved crashes and enforcement activity. The goal is to gain information that will allow for the targeting of limited enforcement resources both spatially and temporally. The experimental effort is being conducted in a 12-county area that includes the Raleigh-Durham area and much of the area in the eastern portion of the State served by I-95, I-40, and I-85. The technical capabilities and requirements of the GPS system are described, followed by a discussion of the analysis capabilities that illuminate the geographic relationship between truck-involved crashes and enforcement activities. Future plans include the development of more effective procedures for “mile-posting” events and the integration of wireless reporting and ticketing capabilities intended to improve the overall timeliness and accuracy of the data. Figures