Global positioning system (GPS) data for fatal crashes in the United States were made publicly available pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request and appeal by Quality Control Systems Corp. to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2007. Accurate, small-scale mapping of accident locations linked to wide-spread public use of the Internet offers a promising tool for injury reduction in motor vehicle crashes.

To illustrate, we have identified unusual clusters or groups of fatal crashes that invite closer investigation in:

Fresno County, California

and

San Diego County, California