Designing and implementing effective traffic safety policies and programs requires data-driven approaches to addressing the characteristics and contributing factors of traffic collisions. Each year, researchers from the Indiana University Public Policy Institute collaborate with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) to analyze motor vehicle crash data from the Automated Reporting Information Exchange System (ARIES), maintained by the Indiana State Police. This ongoing partnership began in 2006. Research findings are summarized in an annual series of fact sheets on various aspects of traffic collisions, including impaired driving and other dangerous driving behaviors, seat belt use, child passenger safety, motorcycles, young drivers, non-motorists, and commercial vehicles. An additional publication provides detailed crash information at the county and municipality levels, and the final publication is the annual Indiana Crash Fact Book. These publications serve as the analytical foundation of traffic safety program planning and design in Indiana. These analyses highlight traffic safety problems areas, and also provide information that allows the state to apply for federal funding to support traffic safety program improvements.

Through this longstanding partnership, PPI staff collaborate with several state and federal agencies including the ICJI, Indiana State Police, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Health, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Additional information on Indiana traffic safety issues can be found through the ICJI website.