The Missouri Predictive Crash Analysis Study (MoPACS) integrates with several current databases such as STARS, RITIS, and highway patrol automatic vehicle location (AVL). This integration with other systems brings about the development of a new database to assist law enforcement in better allocating their resources to prevent fatal crashes. This new system provides law enforcement with a weekly forecast of where fatal crashes are likely to occur. Knowing these locations, officers are able to make smarter choices throughout the day to determine where to patrol.
While MoPACS primarily uses Missouri State Highway Patrol’s data, other law enforcement agencies throughout the state have access to this information. Technical staff at the highway patrol have developed an online portal for local agencies to access the patrol’s weekly forecast. In addition, local agencies are able to zoom in on their county to get a more localized report. MSHP hopes this will encourage more agencies to submit their crash reports electronically. Providing data electronically increases the predictive power of the model.
The main priority of MoPACS is to help law enforcement better allocate their resources to decrease the likelihood of fatal crashes in Missouri. Additionally, the MSHP hopes to utilize MoPACS system to assist in decreasing the number of DWI crashes by using predictive models to establish where to patrol and DWI checkpoints. Finally, the MSHP will use MoPACS to help in decreasing the number of CMV crashes. Ultimately, MoPACS will finally use the ample amount of data that is collected from various databases in the state of Missouri and integrate them to enhance law enforcement’s efforts to decrease the number of fatal crashes.
