The desire to enhance road safety and the efficiency of Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) inspections has been a driving force behind the CARTS collaboration with the Louisiana State Police-Transportation Safety Services (LSP-TSS). Historically, LSP-TSS faced challenges in dealing with CMV crash data, an indispensable component of their road safety efforts. Their approach involved an annual, time-consuming process of data collection and analysis to identify high-risk roads for patrolling. This conventional methodology, while valuable, was inadequate in providing timely answers to the crucial questions of when, where, and why CMV crashes were occurring. Furthermore, LSP-TSS lacked a structured process for digesting and visualizing CMV inspection data, an equally critical element for understanding the broader road safety landscape. To revolutionize their approach, CARTS embarked on the development of an interactive GIS dashboard. This innovative tool, updated regularly, provides LSP-TSS with real-time insights into CMV crashes, their spatial distribution, and key factors contributing to these incidents. It does so while overlaying critical CMV inspection data, adding a crucial contextual layer to the analysis.

This new approach has proven effective, enabling LSP-TSS to perform special patrols on specific road segments and subsequently assess the impact of their efforts. The LSP CMV Dashboard application has revolutionized the ability to monitor and respond to road safety concerns promptly and efficiently, offering an invaluable resource for enhanced decision-making, enforcement, and evaluation of their actions.