The Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria are a voluntary guideline that help states collect consistent, reliable crash data that are more effective for identifying traffic safety problems, establishing goals and performance measures, monitoring the progress of programs, and allocating resources for enforcement, engineering and education. Some of America’s leading traffic safety experts worked together to develop the MMUCC Guideline, including representatives from groups in safety, engineering, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and state and federal agencies. First published in 1998, the Guideline has been updated every five years since. The third edition was published in summer of 2008.
Implementation of MMUCC will improve the quality of state data, and subsequently, the national estimates based on these data. States that adopt the Guideline see immediate benefits. Using the Guideline makes it easier to collect all the data needed to determine where the major highway safety problems are in a state and what countermeasures are most important to address those problems. This, in turn, helps states target resources so that they will have the most impact on reducing deaths, injuries, injury severity and health care costs. States can develop crash data collection software based on MMUCC which will automate data collection and make it much easier for law enforcement at the scene.
MMUCC data describe the characteristics of the crash, the vehicle(s), person(s) and roadway involved. A complete list of all of the data elements is posted on the MMUCC website.
States typically begin looking at MMUCC when they revise their crash reporting forms, and they often find during this process that the Guideline reflects a lot of what they are already doing. States that incorporate MMUCC data elements into their own traffic records programs are pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to adopt, and how much it helps highway safety professionals in state capitals, police departments, DOTs and DMVs in their daily jobs.
As part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the current federal transportation legislation, there are Traffic Safety Information System Improvement Grants available to states under section 408 of the bill. In order to receive one of the grants, a state must certify that it has adopted and uses model data elements identified by the Secretary of Transportation or that it will use Section 408 grant funds toward adopting and using the maximum number of such model data elements as soon as practicable. The MMUCC elements were identified by the U.S. Department of Transportation as one set of model data elements that apply to Section 408.
The MMUCC website – www.mmucc.us – offers a one-stop source for information on the Guideline. The site was recently redesigned and includes a wealth of background material, including web-based training on each of the data elements, and a discussion forum that allows visitors to ask questions about MMUCC implementation and engage in dialogue with fellow traffic safety professionals. Further information is available by visiting the websites posted on the useful links section of this site.
