Traffic Records Program Overview

New Mexico’s Traffic Records Program manages the Statewide Traffic Records System and the State Crash Data System. A contract with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) supports program staff to supply data on New Mexico fatal crashes to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The Program actively works with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on data improvement projects.

For more than 10 years, New Mexico has maintained a Statewide Traffic Records Executive Oversight Committee (STREOC) and a Statewide Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (STRCC). STREOC and STRCC membership includes owners, operators, collectors and users of traffic records and public health and injury control data systems, highway safety, highway infrastructure, law enforcement and adjudication officials, and public health, emergency medical services, injury control, driver licensing, and motor carrier agencies and organizations.

The purpose of the STREOC is to provide policy direction to the STRCC in the establishment of a long-range strategic plan for traffic record system improvements. Members of the STREOC sign and abide by a Charter and a Memorandum of Commitment. These documents outline the purpose, powers, and objectives of the STREOC. The STREOC meets on an as needed basis.

The purpose of the STRCC is to facilitate the coordination of efforts by traffic records entities that are involved in the initiation, storage and delivery of traffic records information. This coordination is essential to providing efficient and secure delivery of accurate, timely, uniform and complete information about traffic activity to all who need such information. Members of the STRCC sign and abide by a Memorandum of Commitment. The STRCC meets quarterly during the year.

The current New Mexico Traffic Records Strategic Plan provides the STREOC and STRCC with a foundation for upgrading and integrating the range of information systems used to collect data and conduct highway safety analyses in New Mexico. It is focused on specific actions and projects to be undertaken to accomplish this goal. The Plan is based on the relevant information systems and on any deficiencies identified by federal reviewing agencies and assessments as detailed in the State of New Mexico Traffic Records Assessment. The Plan covers three federal fiscal years and is used by the Traffic Records Program to guide its strategies and project activities.

The primary State information systems in New Mexico’s Traffic Records System include: crash records, roadway inventory data, driver information, vehicle information, citation and adjudication records, and injury tracking information. These systems provide New Mexico data to federal traffic records systems, such as the FARS and the FMCSA Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS).