Fatal Crash Dashboard Frequently Asked Questions

The Maryland Department of State Police Automated Crash Reporting System (ACRS) and the MDSP Data Warehouse. See Crash Data Definitions for more details on injury severity, emphasis areas, non-motorists, etc. Additional information about comparing data from the Zero Deaths Maryland Crash Stats Dashboard to the MDSP Tableau Public Data Download Tool is also included in the Definitions.

Requests for crash data should be directed to the Central Records Division of the Maryland Department of State Police. Additionally, you may download crash data from the MDSP Crash Data Download applications.

The dashboard is updated every morning. Because crash reports and investigations can continue to be submitted or updated, the data may change over time, including for prior years.

The Fatal Crash Data Dashboard includes open investigations, whereas the Crash Stats Dashboard only includes approved reports. When law enforcement closes an investigation and submits a report to MDSP for approval, the data will be available shortly thereafter.

This is primarily due to changes in officer reporting resulting from the ACRS system upgrades launched on January 1, 2024. The ACRS system collects key details about each crash, including the location, vehicles involved, contributing factors, and any injuries or fatalities. Fields and attributes in ACRS ’24 have been upgraded to align with federal MMUCC 5 standards. The Data Definitions explain the new queries developed to accommodate the ACRS coding changes. Interpretations of 2024 trends should consider these coding changes rather than reflect actual changes in driver behavior or crash-type trends. In ACRS ’24, the attributes ‘failed to give full time and attention,’ ‘cell phone in use,’ and ‘inattentive’ were discontinued (from the Contributing Circumstance field) in favor of the (Driver) Distracted by Field, which has similar values. Research has shown that police were reporting ‘failed to give full time and attention’ in nearly half of all crashes. Additionally, the Distracted by Field was altered to align with MMUCC 5, affecting the ability to compare trends prior to 2024. Analysis and interpretation of crash data are affected by fluctuations and limitations in law enforcement data collection methods.

The Maryland Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (TRCC), comprising representatives from MDOT and MDSP, formally established the MDSP FARS Analyst as the authority on inclusion of fatalities in the State of Maryland. Previously, discrepancies existed between state and federal numbers due to how traffic fatalities were defined (e.g., fatalities occurring in parking lots, fatalities due to medical complications, etc.). In accordance with FARS standards, MDOT and MDSP now collaborate to ensure federal and state fatality counts are in sync.

However, the reporting period and cycle differ between the State of Maryland and NHTSA’s FARS and NCSA, which causes discrepancies between these numbers. Additionally, some definitions between state and federal standards may still differ.

The current dashboard does not provide a filter by road names. Crash data with road names and GPS coordinates can be obtained through the MDSP public dashboard applications.

There is currently no policy for closing any year of crash data, so each year is subject to change. Most crash reports are submitted to MDSP within 24 hours of the incident; however, some fatal crash investigations may take longer to complete. It is recommended that any use of this data include a timestamp indicating when you obtained it, and to periodically update any numbers/analysis derived from the dashboard.

Unknown time of day represents crash reports where the crash time is reported as 99:99. This value is used in the case of property-damage-only crashes where the incident time is unknown.

Under 23 U.S. Code § 148 and 23 U.S. Code § 409, safety data, reports, surveys, schedules, lists compiled or collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions, or railway-highway crossings are not subject to discovery or admitted into evidence in a Federal or State court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages arising from any occurrence at a location mentioned or addressed in such reports, surveys, schedules, lists, or data.

If you need additional data support that the dashboard does not provide, please use the Data Request Form. Use the Provide Feedback link at the bottom of the dashboard to share comments or suggestions. All media inquiries should be directed to Rachel Andress.