Oh yes! The solution is called EUSKa - abbreviation for Electronic Accident Type Card. This software system enables the analysis and evaluation of traffic accidents and the identification of accident blackspots. The system has proven so successful that all district police authorities in NRW have been using EUSKa since January 1, 2018.
Police Director Marco Bartjes, responsible for traffic monitoring, traffic management, traffic accident processing and road safety work at the State Office for Central Police Services NRW (LZPD NRW) in Duisburg, emphasizes: "EUSKa makes a very important contribution to road safety."
Modern software instead of pins
Before EUSKa, police officers in the relevant traffic directorates stuck colored pins sorted by accident type onto large wall maps. Action had to be taken where the pins piled up on a map and it became particularly colorful in the truest sense of the word. Fixed limit values applied and continue to apply for a period of one and three years.
Since 2006, EUSKa has taken over this pin function and also offers a wide range of evaluation options. Accidents can be filtered both geographically and according to the attributes of an accident report, including traffic involvement or the age and gender of those involved. With just a few clicks in the modern software, it is possible to quickly identify where accidents are becoming a so-called accident blackspot and where action is therefore required.
Accident commissions analyze conspicuous accident blackspots
If the district police authorities identify accident-prone areas with the help of EUSKa, these are immediately reported to the locally responsible road traffic authorities and road construction authorities.
The subsequent establishment of an accident commission is the responsibility of the road traffic authority, which is also the chair. Other permanent members are the road construction authorities and the police. If necessary, the interdisciplinary accident commissions consult experts from other areas such as urban planning authorities or transport companies. As part of an analysis, the conspicuous areas are checked in terms of recognizability, comprehensibility, clarity and trafficability.
The photo shows the so-called "heat map" function of EUSKa. It shows accident black spots in color. The focal points can be quickly identified at a glance.
