On Field Accident data collection Application – Transportation Accident Reporting App (TARA): Quality data enables better systems for planning and executing targeted interventions. All the stake holders need to be responsible to ensure that the data quality is maintained in order to completely understand the reasons for an accident. In the current flow (Figure 12) Investigation Officer (IO) has to reach the spot, observe the scenario, make a note of the available details. Later, moves to the station to enter the details in RADMS where IO needs to memorize the scenario and enter the data. CCTNS generate FIR, which is fed to RADMS and a unique number is generated. The probability of entering subjective information is high on RADMS as IO has to recollect the scenario while entering the data. There is a high possibility of entering false information as well as leave the fields unknown when they were unable to recollect the scenarios.
In order to resolve the issues with the current workflow is adopted where a new strategy of entering the data in the workflow is created by TARA App. TARA is a comprehensive accident reporting system developed by RBG Labs, IIT Madras to further the data-driven transportation safety framework developed by RBG Labs. All key stakeholder Departments, i.e., Highways, Transport, Police, Health and Education contribute to the TARA ecosystem as either data provider or user for the furtherance of a common goal of zero accidental deaths.
TARA workflow follows the same procedure where police reach the spot and collect important facts about the data such as GPS location, crash/ vehicle/ environment details through videos and audio recordings. The IO can later use the TARA web based application at the station to review the collected data from the field to populate more information about the crash. TARA cases will serve as a piece of evidence while entering the data in the station which eliminates the recollecting scenario of IO while entering the data. It bridges the gap of collecting facts from the spot and eliminates the burden of the first responder in collecting the data at the spot.
Eventually, the change in a workflow that is expected will have a connection through API to the CCTNS, transport department and PWDs. This integrated road accident registry helps in detailed analytics, propose the interventions and policies for the safety of the road users. TARA was designed with an aim to integrate all the stakeholders Police, Health, Highways, Transport to contribute quality information about the accident to enrich understanding of the causes. The envision for TARA to be a comprehensive road accident registry integrating multiple state databases from highways, health and transport paved way for the architecture of Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) project for the Ministry of Road Accidents and Highways (MoRTH).
Pilot Program of TARA data collection Application at Dharmapuri and Kancheepuram Districts of Tamil Nadu
Pilot testing of TARA mobile app and TARA reports dashboard was launched in May 2019 in Dharmapuri and Kancheepuram. Post successful testing the services will be extended to all the districts and Commissionerate’s of Tamil Nadu Police.
