On Tuesday, Gov. Laura Kelly announced that a $2.69 million federal grant allows the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) to overhaul the state’s vehicle crash information system and expand use of driver’s license scanners to speed accident reporting.
Funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would enable the state to overhaul the Kansas Crash Data System and better integrate the system with law enforcement agencies statewide.
“Accurate, timely data is essential for developing strategies to reduce crashes and the severity of injuries,” Kelly said.
KDOT receives electronic reports of traffic accidents from the Kansas Highway Patrol through the Kansas Law Enforcement Reporting System (KLER).
Approximately half of information on Kansas crashes must be entered manually because many local law enforcement agencies don’t have electronic systems compatible with KLER.
The project includes distribution of 1,000 driver’s license scanners to law enforcement agencies to encourage adoption of electronic reporting.
“Ultimately, this initiative will streamline our current processes, improve data accuracy and provide quicker access to actionable information,” said Calvin Reed, secretary of KDOT.
The federal program reflected a requirement in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to issue grants to states for standardizing state crash data systems.
In 2023, KDOT’s reporting system documented 59,865 traffic accidents in Kansas. Those wrecks were associated with 387 fatalities and 19,298 injuries. Overall, there were 131,000 pedestrians or vehicle occupants involved in Kansas crashes during the year.
Source: Kansas Reflector, WIBW
