The USDOT Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (USDOT|TRCC) developed this guide to help state TRCCs become more effective by:

• Adapting and adopting noteworthy examples in other States.
• Implementing recommendations based on the noteworthy practices and advice from subject matter experts.

The primary audience for this guide is TRCC coordinators and chairs, TRCC participants, and executive leaders. Examples from State TRCC noteworthy practices point to opportunities for TRCCs in traffic records assessments, self-assessments, foundational documents, strategic planning, relationship building, and performance measurement. In reviewing case studies of six highly successful state TRCCs and their noteworthy practices, the guide highlights the common practices to overcome barriers, including:

• Economic Issues: those related to funding the TRCC’s efforts and managing traffic records and safety-related funding for data quality improvement projects.
• Political Issues: those related to interagency, legislative, and agency executive level commitments and awareness of traffic records needs.
• Technological Issues: those related to information technology staff’s role in the TRCC, project selection, and coordination among multiple planning efforts.
• Social Issues: those related to participation by a broad range of stakeholders, communicating the need for traffic records improvement, and the importance of data-driven decision-making.

It also provides a series of recommended practices for TRCCs to follow for improving their assessment, planning, management, and measurement of TRCC and traffic records performance. Appendices provide information about funding and resources, and an example memorandum of understanding.
The recommendations in this guide are not intended as a checklist which every State TRCC should adopt or that map the path to success. Rather, they should be treated as a menu of options that TRCCs can refer to when deciding how to address their own issues and when they see the need to improve their own effectiveness in a particular area.