LA eCrash Messaging

TIPS

Read below for quick tips to make your eCrash experience easier. Keep checking back as more tips will be added.

New - 10/7/2024

  • The Readable ID field has been added to the crash report and eCrash website to make reports easier to identify to other parties. The Readable ID is automatically generated when a report is created and can be shared with other parties working the crash (e.g. other law enforcement officers/agencies, EMS, the crime lab, etc.) to improve the flow of information between parties! The Readable ID field has been added to the crash report and eCrash website to make reports easier to identify to other parties. The Readable ID is automatically generated when a report is created and can be shared with other parties working the crash (e.g. other law enforcement officers/agencies, EMS, the crime lab, etc.) to improve the flow of information between parties!
  • Scooter, eBike, motorized bicycle, electric bicycle, minibike, dirt bike... distinguishing between these types of vehicles and reporting them can be a challenge! Sections throughout the manual have been updated with helpful tips for distinguishing between them all! Scooter, eBike, motorized bicycle, electric bicycle, minibike, dirt bike... distinguishing between these types of vehicles and reporting them can be a challenge! Sections throughout the manual have been updated with helpful tips for distinguishing between them all!
    • Check out the Vehicle Body Type section for new inclusions and exclusions, common makes and models, examples etc. Check out the Vehicle Body Type section for new inclusions and exclusions, common makes and models, examples etc.
    • The Vehicle Body Type and Non-Motorist Type sections now indicate how to easily tell the difference between an electric bicycle and motorized bicycle (and when to code them as a vehicle versus a non-motorist). The Rule of Thumb? If the vehicle has a VIN, it's a motor vehicle. If it does NOT have a VIN, it's a non-motorist. The Vehicle Body Type and Non-Motorist Type sections now indicate how to easily tell the difference between an electric bicycle and motorized bicycle (and when to code them as a vehicle versus a non-motorist). The Rule of Thumb? If the vehicle has a VIN, it's a motor vehicle. If it does NOT have a VIN, it's a non-motorist.
  • To help automate your vehicle reporting and diagramming, the license plate lookup now automatically triggers the VIN lookup functionality. It's one less field to fill in AND it means that Easy Street Draw will automatically pull in the correct vehicle body type. To help automate your vehicle reporting and diagramming, the license plate lookup now automatically triggers the VIN lookup functionality. It's one less field to fill in AND it means that Easy Street Draw will automatically pull in the correct vehicle body type.
  • The codes in Driver's License Restriction have been updated to show Louisiana restrictions and codes (where available) to assist with “translating” a driver's license to the crash report. The codes in Driver's License Restriction have been updated to show Louisiana restrictions and codes (where available) to assist with “translating” a driver's license to the crash report.

New Requirements for eCrash Reporting

Read Below for important requirements to the new eCrash Report System.
  • Officers should now report all applicable drugs listed on the crime lab report. The software has been adjusted to allow the submission of unlimited, detailed results for any person, regardless of their injury severity. Now officers are no longer limited to reporting drug families for crashes with non-fatal severities. Officers should now report all applicable drugs listed on the crime lab report. The software has been adjusted to allow the submission of unlimited, detailed results for any person, regardless of their injury severity. Now officers are no longer limited to reporting drug families for crashes with non-fatal severities.
  • Vehicle Maneuver has been overhauled!
    • The updated definition of Vehicle Maneuver now clarifies that the reported movement should be the CONTROLLED movement prior to the unstabilized situation leading to the crash.
    • Codes have been simplified and consolidated. Review this chart for a quick guide to the updates!
    • Codes concerning roadway and lane departure (e.g. Ran off Road, Crossed the Median/Centerline) are now reflected in Sequence of Events.
  • The below changes were made to the Driver Action category:
    • Driver Action Value 108 has been changed to "Careless driving, inattentive operation, improper driving, or driving without due care."
    • Driver Action Value 109 has been changed to "Operating the vehicle in an erratic, reckless, or negligent manner."
    • Added value 116 - Aggressive Driving.
    • Added value 117 - Road Rage
  • The below changes were made to the Non-Motorist Type category:
    • Non-Motorist Type field 298 has been changed to Pedestrian on personal conveyance.
    • Added value 500 - Person in or on a building.

Archived

TIPS

  • Speed up your crash location process using the brand new search bar MapClick! Type in an address, city, zip code, or business and this feature will move your map to that location.
  • The more vehicle and location information listed in the report, the easier it is to diagram:
    • After location and vehicle information are entered into a report, Easy Street Draw auto-generates a map of the location and street labels, along with symbols and labels for all involved vehicles that include the year, make, model, and color of each vehicle listed in the crash report.
    • When all the location and vehicle information is present, all users need to do is plug in streets and labels, and then position vehicles in the right spots!
    • Use MapClick to populate the crash location, and the “Import Vehicle” feature in VIN fields (or the Louisiana License Plate Look-up) for each vehicle, to simplify reporting this information!
    • For more instructions, visit our training video on Easy Street Draw 8.
  • If a crash involves a vehicle with a USDOT Number, use the “USDOT# Lookup” button on the Motor Carrier page to auto-populate motor carrier information. Unsure about the Motor Carrier Type? Select a code to use the feature and the look-up will auto-populate override your selection with the correct type.
  • Administrators can load diagram templates to streamline the diagramming process for all of the officers at their agency. Instructions can be found in the Admin section of the CARTS Training Video page or directly at this link.
  • Speed up your crash location process using the brand new search bar MapClick! Type in an address, city, zip code, or business and this feature will move your map to that location.
  • The more vehicle and location information listed in the report, the easier it is to diagram:
    • After location and vehicle information are entered into a report, Easy Street Draw auto-generates a map of the location and street labels, along with symbols and labels for all involved vehicles that include the year, make, model, and color of each vehicle listed in the crash report.
    • When all the location and vehicle information is present, all users need to do is plug in streets and labels, and then position vehicles in the right spots!
    • Use MapClick to populate the crash location, and the “Import Vehicle” feature in VIN fields (or the Louisiana License Plate Look-up) for each vehicle, to simplify reporting this information!
    • For more instructions, visit our training video on Easy Street Draw 8.
  • If a crash involves a vehicle with a USDOT Number, use the “USDOT# Lookup” button on the Motor Carrier page to auto-populate motor carrier information. Unsure about the Motor Carrier Type? Select a code to use the feature and the look-up will auto-populate override your selection with the correct type.
  • Administrators can load diagram templates to streamline the diagramming process for all of the officers at their agency. Instructions can be found in the Admin section of the CARTS Training Video page or directly at this link.
  • A "Resync Report Statuses" button has been added to the Louisiana eCrash software to allow officers to manually resynchronize the status of your crash reports with the server. You can use this if you have reports that are still showing up as "Pending" even though your supervisor has already reviewed them. To exercise this option, open MoveLA > open Louisiana eCrash > navigate to the taskbar at the top of the home screen > select "Options" > select "Resync Report Statuses"
  • Make your Louisiana eCrash experience easier by taking advantage of the newest software updates and ensuring that your software version is the most current. To do so, visit the Louisiana eCrash website, click on the "Support" tab, and scroll to the bottom. Compare that Latest Available Version number with the version number shown in the eCrash box within the MoveLA app OR at the top left of your Louisiana eCrash home screen. If your software does not automatically update to the latest version, notify the IT section of your agency immediately.
  • Save time filling out your crash report by utilizing the "Preferences" tab in the Louisiana eCrash software. Avoid scrolling by saving codes you routinely use (like your local hospitals!) so that they appear at the top of the dropdown for that field. To find and set your preferences, open MoveLA > open Louisiana eCrash > navigate to the taskbar at the top of the home screen > select "Options" > select "Preferences". Another preference you can set? Auto-save intervals! Set how often you want the software to autosave your report, and never worry about your laptop dying or accidentally hitting "exit" too soon again!
  • Working a crash where multiple violations were written under the same citation numbers? A "Replicate Ticket Number" button has been added to the Citation screen to allow you to simplify the process of adding all those violations.
  • Updated Rejection Process - The process to reject eCrash reports for revisions has been updated to make it more streamlined, precise, and easier for all. Supervisors now have the ability to make suggestions on every section of eCrash. When the rejected report is opened by the officer, the report will display each section and suggestion. The officer can then click on that suggestion, and it will bring them to that specific section to make the correction. For a quick video tutorial on the new Supervisor's Approval Process, click here.
  • Click here for a tutorial on updating a rejected report for officers.
  • For guidance to complete a specific field, select the field and press F1 (or Function + F1 depending on your computer) to navigate directly to that section of the eCrash User Guide.
  • eCrash now has the ability to create a crash report if the driver cannot be determined through your investigation. Click the box labeled “Vehicle Had No Driver or Driver is Undetermined” in the Vehicle Section. NOTE: This is reserved only for those very few cases where there is no evidence as to who was driving (i.e. - both riders of a motorcycle crash who were ejected and are deceased, or all occupants of a vehicle rollover crash who were ejected and are deceased).
  • To save an eCrash Report to a jump drive, click File at the top left of the program. Then click “Save As”. This will open the “Save As” window. The Local Case # will automatically be displayed in the File Name window. If you want to change the name, simply type the new name. Scroll on the tree to the left to select where you want to save the report to (i.e. - jump drive, or a specific folder on your computer).
  • Visit our website at CARTS (lsu.edu) to find out who we are and for important information on News and Events, Projects, Data Reports, and the new Louisiana eCrash Report System.

New Requirements for eCrash Reporting

  • For crashes involving vehicles parked outside of the trafficway (e.g. a vehicle parked on private property, but involved in a crash), a new code has been added to the "Direction of Travel Before Crash" field. Select the newly added "Not on Trafficway" code, and fields in the Vehicle Trafficway section and the software disable the appropriate codes and default them to the proper selections.
  • For crashes involving vehicles parked outside of the trafficway (e.g. a vehicle parked on private property, but involved in a crash), a new code has been added to the "Direction of Travel Before Crash" field. Select the newly added "Not on Trafficway" code, and fields in the Vehicle Trafficway section and the software disable the appropriate codes and default them to the proper selections.
  • When updating eCrash Reports to reflect newly obtained information (i.e. - blood toxicology results from alcohol and/or drugs, Hit & Run Driver and/or Vehicle information, etc.,) or to make a correction to the report, the correct way is to enter this information in the appropriate sections on the eCrash Report instead of simply attaching the information in the form of a written supplement. This helps maintain more precise crash reports to better help you with enforcement strategies. To do this, open the report in question and:
    • Update the appropriate field(s) based on feedback.
    • Click “File” then “Upload”.
    • Type name to sign report.
    • Click “Sign” and “Upload”.
  • Unlike the past, information regarding bicyclists (completely human powered and not electric or gas assisted) and wheelchairs (including motorized scooters) involved in crashes are now listed in the Non-Motorist Section of the eCrash Report. They are not to be listed in the Vehicle Section.
  • Crash photos and/or videos are not to be uploaded in any manner (including pdf) to the eCrash Report System. If you have crash photos and/or videos from a crash, refer to your agency guidelines on submitting and storing photos and videos.
  • Investigating officers should NOT report animals involved in crashes as non-motorists. Animals should be described in the Narrative section of the crash report.