Got a question about car crashes? If you're a county or law enforcement official, John Chaffin is the man to ask.
Chaffin is in charge of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's new traffic crash data program, which can dissect and codify crashes across the county using a wide range of criteria, such as whether alcohol or aggressive driving were involved.
Created in conjunction with the county's Public Works Department and the Florida Department of Transportation, the program can almost instantaneously organize a slate of accidents by time, date and location.
The data will come from and be available to police from all different agencies, not to mention county officials and engineers.
Essentially, the $155,000 program - the first of its kind in the state - will allow authorities to identify traffic hot spots and break down crash data almost instantaneously.
As an example, Chaffin produces a map of traffic incidents in eastern Hillsborough County during the first six weeks of 2004. Like a weather map plotting rainfall amounts, Chaffin's map shows, by color, the locations with the highest instances of traffic incidents.
Red-tinted sites have the highest accident rates - more than 12 per square mile - and there are a handful.
Three spots in Mango and Seffner have been classified as high-accident spots: the area near Interstate 75 and Broadway Avenue; portions of Interstate 4 and U.S. 92 between I-75 and Mango Road; and the area bordered by Mango Road, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Parsons avenue and U.S. 92.
Most of Brandon, from 78th Avenue to Valrico Road (to the east and west) and from Windhorst Road to Lumsden Road (north and south) is red. So are portions of Lithia-Pinecrest Road and U.S. 301, especially at the Boyette Road intersection in Riverview.
The only 2004 accident hot spot in south Hillsborough is Sun City Center. But the year is young, and the map is sure to change as the months go by.
The point is this: Chaffin collected and mapped this data within minutes. Using the sheriff's office's old crash data analysis system, it might have taken him days.
When police are deciding where to concentrate their enforcement efforts, that time difference will allow them to choose their sites on a daily basis.
The goal, Chaffin said, is to save lives.
This program may be a step in that direction.
THE CAKE READ, "Congratulations Hillsborough County CTST."
Just about everyone had a slice, which was fitting, given the communal nature of the Hillsborough County Community Traffic Safety Team.
The party, held Wednesday in Tampa, celebrated 10 years of CTST as a multiagency coalition, made up of law enforcement, engineers and state and county officials, devoted to road safety. The group's monthly meetings offer members a chance to swap resources and work together on traffic safety efforts.
Team members reflected on some of CTST's accomplishments, such as getting median guardrails installed along Interstate 4, and discussed upcoming projects, such as bike helmet giveaways.
This week, the state awarded the Hillsborough CTST "gold" status for its safety programs and recordkeeping in 2003. Only one county, Duval, received platinum status, and only two other counties, including Pinellas, received gold awards.
"We are making progress," said CTST chairwoman Susan Viola, an engineer with TEI Engineering.
"Next year," added Florida Department of Transportation's Jeanette Rouse, "We're going to shoot for platinum."
- The Lane Ranger is currently stuck in traffic. But he can be reached at cridlin@sptimes.com
