At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Nationally representative sample of crashes.
- Traffic safety may affect physical activity in specific locales.
- Designed to identify traffic safety problem areas.
Website
https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/national-automotive-sampling-system-nass
Purpose
To collect data about characteristics and trends for motor vehicle crashes in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
Motor vehicle crashes reported to police in the U.S.
Conducted
Began in 1988. Conducted annually. Most recent year conducted was 2015.
Sponsor
National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation
Special Note(s)
The Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS) builds on the retiring, long running National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (NASS GES). CRSS is a sample of police-reported crashes involving all types of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, ranging from property-damage-only crashes to those that result in fatalities.
"Crashâ is defined as both collision and non-collision harmful events (e.g., rollovers, fires, damaging jack-knifes). It must involve at least one motor vehicle traveling on a traffic way, and the result must be property damage, injury, or death.
Information for each incident is obtained from the police accident report (PAR).
Similar system in NHTSA series: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
Contact:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Crash Investigation Division, NVS-411
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-5378 (TEL)
(202) 366-3189 (FAX)
Sampling
Sample Design
Cross-sectional, multi-stage, stratified, probability sampling for a nationally representative sample.
Source of Information
Data are representative at the national level.
Sample Size
Approximately 50,000 crashes in 2010. Approximately 400 police jurisdictions in the U.S. Approximately 60 areas (counties and major cities) that reflect the geography, roadway mileage, population, and traffic density of the U.S.
Key Variables
Demographic
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Race/ethnicity of driver | Police Accident Report (PAR) |
| Age of drivers, other vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and/or cyclists involved in crash | PAR |
Physical Activity-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Collisions with pedestrians/cyclists and type of non-motorists involved | PAR |
| Traffic control devices/signs in crash location (including those applicable to cyclists) | PAR |
| Non-motorist action linked to crash (e.g., jaywalking, jogging, playing on roadway, walking against traffic) | PAR |
| Non-motorist safety equipment used (especially by cyclists) | PAR |
Sleep-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Involuntary falling asleep | Police Accident Report (PAR) |
| Social sleep environment: Sleep location (e.g., truck cab) | Police Accident Report (PAR) |
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Police jurisdiction for crash location | PAR |
| County and/or city of crash location | PAR |
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
Download data files or obtain data by contacting:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Data Reporting and Information Division
NVS-424
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20590
(800) 934-8517 (TEL)
(202) 366-7078 (FAX)
Cost
Free of charge.
Special Note(s)
The most recent year for which data are available is not necessarily the most recent year this survey was conducted.
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
Region, city, county, police jurisdiction, driver zip code
Existing Linkages
These National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) data on crashes have been linked with Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data on crash fatalities using month, day of week, hour/minute of crash, age, sex, seating position, Vehicle Identification Number (truncated), vehicle make/model, and driver ZIP code. Learn more
Special Note(s)
NASS GES and FARS data sets were standardized in 2009. Both systems come from Police Accident Reports (PAR) and have similar data elements based on Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). A single coding manual for both systems was developed for the 2010 data collection. The final phase of standardization in 2011 resulted in one data entry system for both FARS and NASS GES. Learn more
Selected Publications
Resources
Documentation/Codebook(s)
Several codebooks and documentation materials for NASS GES also are available.
