CRASH - Crash Record Attribute Standardization Hub

The CRASH (Crash Record Attribute Standardization Hub) is a collaboration between the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Highway Safety Office and the Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT) at Virginia Tech. The project enhances the accuracy of Virginia’s statewide crash data by assigning precise geographic coordinates to every police-reported vehicle crash. Through this process, each incident is manually spatially validated and linked to authoritative roadway and infrastructure datasets, creating a unified foundation for transportation safety analysis across the Commonwealth.

Purpose and Vision

Accurate crash location data is essential for improving roadway safety, identifying problem areas, and guiding investments in infrastructure. CRASH was created to standardize and enrich crash records collected through Virginia’s Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS). By aligning crash points with verified roadway geometries and integrating spatial attributes from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), the project ensures that every crash record supports evidence-based policy and prevention strategies.

Process and Methodology

The project employs a combination of automated geospatial processing and quality assurance with manual validation to identify the most accurate location for each crash report. Each record is cross-referenced with high-resolution road network data and verified for consistency, accuracy, and positional integrity. The resulting dataset forms the spatial backbone of CGIT’s DASH (Data Analytics System for Highway safety) program, by enabling interactive exploration of crash trends, high-risk corridors, and contributing factors.

Impact

By improving the precision of crash data statewide, CRASH's data is core to the functionality of DASH, which empowers public safety analysts, planners, and policymakers to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Enhanced spatial accuracy allows for more effective highway safety programs, targeted enforcement, and infrastructure planning. This collaboration exemplifies CGIT’s commitment to delivering high-quality, data-driven decision-support systems that improve safety and resilience throughout Virginia’s transportation network.

CGIT’s Role

CGIT leads the technical architecture, data modeling, and automation workflows that drive the geolocation process. The team maintains and refines the infrastructure that connects crash reporting systems, reference datasets, and analytical dashboards—ensuring data integrity and long-term reliability for the DMV and its partners.