Data requirements for traffic safety research and policy : report presented to the 1979 Road Research Symposium on Safety of Pedestrians and Cyclists, Session IV "Data requirements and evaluation procedures", OECD Headquarters Paris 14 - 16 May 1979.

Data requirements differ depending on the stage of the process of planning, implementation and evaluation of countermeasures. The stages referred to in this paper are presented below; (1) selection of priority problem areas; (2) description and analysis of problems; (3) research on accident causation; (4) development and selection of countermeasures; and (5) implementation and evaluation of countermeasures. With traffic safety as the objective of all these activities there is a need for data on traffic safety at all these stages. Traffic safety is measured in terms of accidents or damage resulting from these. Accident figures are often related to a measure of exposure. Other data are needed at the stages of research on accident causation as well as the development of countermeasures. This paper is restricted to the subjects of measuring safety and measuring exposure. The paper was presented to the 1979 road research symposium on safety of pedestrians and cyclists, oecd headquarters, paris, 14-16 may 1979.