Frequently asked questions

Here are a selection of questions that we often are asked. If you cannot find the information you are looking for please contact us. Our details can be found on the Contact Us page of this site.

1. Where have you got my information from?

2. What has been done with the data so far?

3. Is the gathered data doing any good in the real world?

4. Will my questionnaire be accessible by the Police or any Insurance companies?

5. Will my assistance actually change anything as this road has been like this for years?

6. Do you talk to manufacturers when you detect faults on vehicles?

7. Who has access to the data and will I be anonymous?

8. Are you anything to do with insurance companies

9. Can I have a copy of the photo’s or data gathered?

10. Who are DFT / ESRI / VSRC / TRL?

11. How safe is my car?

12. How can I get access to data for research purposes?

1. Where have you got my information from?
Our crash research team attended an accident that you were involved in. The research team may have asked for your details for research purposes only. We always try to introduce ourselves to people at the scene of accidents and, if circumstances allow, we explain that a questionnaire will be sent out.

2. What has been done with the data so far?
The data gathered so far is being analysed and used to help us understand the causes of accidents. In this way we aim to identify ways to improve road safety. For more details of the analysis done so far, click here.

3. Is the gathered data doing any good in the real world?
Most of the improvements in road safety in the real world have come about through research projects. Examples of this include research into the effectiveness of seat belts and air bags, both of which have contributed greatly to reducing injuries from road accidents. In 2000 the Government set out their objectives to substantially reduce the number of number of people killed and seriously injured by 2010. The OTS project is a good example of how data can be used to make improvements to help meet these targets.

4. Will my questionnaire be accessible by the Police or any Insurance companies?
The information collected by the OTS project is kept strictly confidential and is not offered to any third parties.

5. Will my assistance actually change anything as this road has been like this for years?
As research teams operating in our local areas, if we become aware of accident hot spots, we will contact the relevant authority and discuss the issues with them. If you have concerns about the safety of roads in your area, please contact your local authority. Nationally, the research we carry will help to inform future road design.

6. Do you talk to manufacturers when you detect faults on vehicles?
Usually we are not able to carry out a full mechanical examination at the road side. If we believed that there was a serious fault with a vehicle that may be a manufacturing issue, we would discuss this with the relevant organisations. If you have concerns that your vehicle has suffered a manufacturing defect you can contact your local trading standards department.

7. Who has access to the data and will I be anonymous?
All names, addresses and other identifiable details such as licence plates and company names are removed from the data, which is then stored in a secure database. Access to the data is strictly controlled by the Department for Transport and only used for road safety research purposes.

8. Are you anything to do with insurance companies?
No. We do not pass any information to insurance companies. We are an independent research project which does not receive any funding from insurance companies.

9. Can I have a copy of the photo’s or data gathered?
In order to preserve the confidentiality of all parties involved, it is not our policy to pass on any information, including photographs, of any individual accidents.

10. Who are DFT / HA / VSRC / TRL?
These stand for The Department for Transport; the Highways Agency; Vehicle Safety Research Centre and Transport Research Laboratory. You can find links to each of these organisations on the home page.

11. How safe is my car?
We cannot give you advice on individual vehicles but for details of the latest European safety ratings, please see details of the European New Car Assessment Programme at euroncap.

12. How can I get access to data for research purposes?
The data is owned by the Department for Transport and its use is currently limited to organisations working on specific projects. However you can contact the Department for Transport to register your request to use the data in the future. If you want any further information, please contact us at either VSRC or TRL.