The Kansas Department of Transportation recently received a $2.7 million federal grant to help upgrade its statewide crash data collection system.
[Above photo by Kansas DOT]
That grant – which comes from State Electronic Data Collection program funds awarded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in December 2024 – will allow the Kansas DOT to move from manual data entry to an automated system, the agency said.
Currently, Kansas DOT’s system receives electronic reports from the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Kansas Law Enforcement Reporting System. However, nearly half of all that crash data must be entered manually due to system incompatibilities with many local law enforcement agencies.
NHTSA’s grant will enable the Kansas Crash Data System to be rebuilt and integrated with local systems statewide, Kansas DOT said; a project that also includes the distribution of 1,000 driver’s license scanners to law enforcement to encourage greater adoption of electronic reporting.
“Accurate, timely data is essential for developing strategies to reduce crashes and the severity of injuries,” noted Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) in a statement. “This funding will modernize the crash data collection process by equipping decision-makers in local communities with better tools to guide transportation planning across Kansas.”
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to improve the statewide crash data repository,” added Calvin Reed, Kansas DOT secretary. “Ultimately, this initiative will streamline our current processes, improve data accuracy, and provide quicker access to actionable information.”
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