An analytical study of adequate statistical data gathering and its application involved in accident prevention in local Texas law enforcement agencies

An Analytical Study of Adequate Statistical Data Gathering and Its Application Involved in Accident Prevention in Local Texas Law Enforcement Agencies. Master of Arts (Institute of Contemporary Corrections and Behavior Sciences), August, 1975, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the statistical data gathering techniques and proper application of the data, in law enforcement agencies within Texas cities with a population between 40,000 and 100,000, to determine whether the systems in use provide adequate statistical information for the proper enforcement of regulations causing motor vehicle accidents. Methods: This survey of law enforcement agencies n Texas cities between 40,000 and 100,000 has been broken down into two categories based on methods of obtaining information through personal visits or responses to mailed questionnaires. The first category was comprised of eleven law enforcement agencies visited during March, April, and May of 1974. In analyzing each agency the author attempted to determine how the agency used that information which was available to them for future enforcement in accident areas where violations were a factor. The second category was comprised if the remaining nine cities within the population to be studied. Each of the nine cities were sent a short questionnaire in an attempt to obtain general information about existing systems used by each agency. Findings: 1. The budgets of most agencies were inappropriate for complex systems such as computers and had to rely on inefficient less expensive means. 2. Most agencies had some type of funding available to them such as F.A.R.E for the reduction of fatal accidents. 3. Several cities had budgets that allocated use of computers to their agencies, but these agencies failed to put the information retrieved from their systems into practical use. 4. These were many agencies that left the entire traffic problem up to the traffic engineer or coordinator in the city. 5. Many agencies maintained records for the sole purpose of insurance claims. 6. There was a lack of a working relationship found in many cities between the traffic engineer or coordinator and the law enforcement agency. 7. The cities with the most adequate systems had a lower percentage of accidents occurring.