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by Bencarneiro 695 days ago
The data here is processed from NHTSA's FARS database. When someone dies in an accident, it gets input into a STATE reporting system, and FARS is manufactured by analyzing each state's individual record system. The feds consolidate all this data and publish a unified dataset annually. They say it's "a lot cheaper and just as good as collecting it themselves"

Additional errors are potentially produced from my own processing of the federal data, but those will be rooted out over time. Project being OS will hopefully help with that.

3 comments

If you need help merging additional data sources, this project might be able to assist. I know the folks, and they are motivated to deliver open data.

https://www.data-liberation-project.org/

I noticed seemingly all deaths in Manhattan are labeled as having occurred in flushing, a nearby neighborhood. Perhaps an off by one error?
NYC is no longer called flushing in the DB <3 thank you for flagging this
Thanks for this background. What's the best way to download your data, or the feds data?
Just go to the NHTSA FARS website.. here's the FTP:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/file-downloads?p=nhtsa/downloads/FARS/

Thank you, that is very useful.

In fact, the author of the website "I mapped almost every.." might want to add references to the data sources for credibility and less of a "spam" look. How about an About page.

The splash photos on that website says it all.

Reposted to foil vandals:

So we're slowly forgetting that FTP and HTTPS aren't the same thing.