National Center for Statistics and Analysis

The National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), an office of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is responsible for providing a wide range of analytical and statistical support to NHTSA and the highway safety community at large, in the general areas of:

• Human, vehicle, environmental, and roadway characteristics, as they relate to crash frequency and injuries;
• Identifying injury mechanisms and associated crash dynamics in motor vehicle crashes;
• Evaluating the effectiveness of crashworthiness, crash avoidance, and traffic safety efforts;
• Monitoring the magnitude of the traffic safety problem; and
• Quantifying the benefits resulting from proposed agency rules.

Crash Data Improvements Related to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Learn More

In addition to its own data input sources, NCSA uses data from other governmental agencies, as well as crash files from a number of States, to support analytical activities. NCSA conducts onetime and ongoing analyses on a wide range of safety issues. Examples of recent analyses include:

• Trends and Injuries in Non-Fatal Traffic Crashes
• Statistics Analysis of Alcohol-Impaired Driving Trends
• Seat Belt Use in the United States
• Evaluation of primary enforcement and other provisions of seat belt use laws

NCSA also regularly publishes a variety of Research Notes, Crash*Stats, Traffic Safety Fact Sheets and Reports which provide information on crashes at the national and State levels. NCSA also produces many reports on Seat Belt Use in the States and Territories.

Our Mission
In realizing our mission we: target the collection and analysis of data and the dissemination of information to quickly identify potential problems and support data-driven decisions; and we continuously identify, advance and promote new technologies, systems and procedures that make information more complete, accurate, timely and accessible.

Our Principles
In carrying out our mission, we adhere to the following principles: sound statistical and engineering methods, quality assurance, easy public access to our data for multiple users and uses, and protection of confidential information that is entrusted to us. Furthermore, we work with and listen to stakeholders in law enforcement, States, industry, public interest groups and other DOT offices to understand and address their needs and concerns. NCSA also provides strong support to the network of people in the field who gather the data we rely on everyday.

Our Vision
Provide the data and the analysis to allow complete understanding of: the nature, causes and injury outcomes of crashes and the strategies and interventions that will reduce crashes and their consequences.

HIPAA Information
NHTSA published notification in the Federal Register to inform hospitals and other health care organizations of its status as a ‘‘public health authority’’ under the medical privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.