Crash Data, Reporting and Public Records
What the domain tests
Crash Data, Reporting and Public Records tests the reportable-crash rules, the Ohio Traffic Crash Report (OH-1), data use, and Ohio Public Records Act obligations under ORC 149.43.
Core rules and concepts
- A law enforcement officer completes an Ohio Traffic Crash Report when a crash on a public roadway results in injury, death, or property damage above the statutory threshold (commonly $1,000). The report captures parties, vehicles, injuries, contributing circumstances, and a diagram.
- Crash reports are submitted to the Ohio Department of Public Safety and feed highway safety analysis, enforcement planning, and grant decisions.
- Crash reports are generally public records. Under ORC 149.43, a public office must respond promptly and within a reasonable time, may redact information exempt by law (for example, SSNs or protected medical information), and may charge only the actual cost of copying.
- A requester does not have to give a reason or use a special form. A denial must be in writing and cite the legal authority.
Worked example
A requester seeks the OH-1 for a fatal crash. The narrative contains a witness's Social Security number and a trooper's personal cell phone number. The custodian redacts the SSN as exempt personal information, evaluates the phone number under the applicable exemption, releases the remainder promptly, and explains the redactions in writing. Reasoning: the crash report is a public record, but exempt personal information must be removed; the office cannot deny the entire request when a redacted copy satisfies it.
Traps that cost marks
Do not treat crash reports as automatically confidential. Do not release SSNs or exempt personal information. Do not charge a fee beyond actual copying cost. Do not miss the reporting threshold or confuse the OH-1 with a driver's own crash report.