Traffic accident statistics provide data on the number of accidents, the people involved, casualties, the causes of accidents and the severity of the consequences of accidents. This enables the production of an accident situation report (assessment of the local and national accident situation).
The results of the traffic accident statistics form an essential basis for gaining knowledge about the accident situation and its development. They are indispensable for
- observing the current accident situation and its development in a national and international comparison,
- identifying problem areas in road safety and defining risk groups,
- developing and preparing decisions, measures and planning projects in the field of transport policy,
- recording and assessing the effectiveness of decisions, measures and other influences on road safety
- police and municipal road safety work
- work of the accident commission.
Traffic accidents within the meaning of the law are accidents in which people are killed or injured or property damage is caused as a result of driving on public roads and squares. As the police do not find out about every traffic accident, the statistics only reflect part of all traffic accidents.
The statistics are recorded according to standardized national rules. Following police investigations, it may be necessary to change data that has already been published. In this respect, statistical evaluations at different times are only comparable to a limited extent.
Traffic accident statistics at federal level
All 16 federal states transmit the data required for the traffic accident statistics to the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden (DESTATIS), so that the federal statistics can be compiled here. For North Rhine-Westphalia, IT NRW supplies the state data required for the statistics directly to DESTATIS on the basis of the data provided by the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Central Police Services.
