A survey conducted by Qualtrics, which was released by Carfax for Police, reveals that citizens expect officers to respond to minor crashes in 30 minutes or less. If officers can’t achieve that level of response, the same respondents to the survey say they need a digital solution for reporting such incidents.

The nationwide “What Citizens Want” survey gauged citizen sentiment about call-for-service response times when involved in minor crashes and their preferred method of exchanging and then accessing information for insurance claims purposes.

When it comes to minor, non-reportable crashes, a full 99% of respondents believe it should take less than 30 minutes for on-scene response, while 82% were willing to wait no longer than 30 minutes. However, if an agency can’t send someone to the scene, citizens’ number-one preference is digital exchange of information via a link sent directly from the agency to involved parties while still on scene. Digital exchange also ranked number one for convenience and effective use of police resources.

“Right now, agencies are seeking ways both to be more efficient, and to deliver better citizen customer service,” said Lt. Michael Ledoux (retired), business development director at Carfax for Police. “With understaffing requiring more from law enforcement, we know now that agencies can create positive experiences by delivering what citizens want, all while mitigating or minimizing time on scene.”

The survey also revealed that 94% of respondents want accurate and complete documentation, while 6% want to get back to their day as quickly as possible. An online tool where driver licenses and/or registration can be scanned and other information entered is the most preferred way to exchange information.

As far as obtaining information to file an insurance claim after a minor crash, citizens ranked direct access via a digital link as the most preferred, most convenient, and the best use of police resources. 

Findings from the survey reinforce the benefits of the Carfax for Police traffic and records solutions, the company says. Offered at no cost to nearly 6,000 data-sharing law enforcement partner agencies, Carfax for Police’s Driver Exchange, eCrash, and the citizen report distribution portal, Crashdocs.org, create positive citizen experiences from the scene of the crash through to accident report and information distribution, the company says. These solutions help partner agencies save time on two fronts: patrol officers save at least 30 minutes at the scene, while records professionals save time by eliminating the need to handle report requests since citizens receive the information automatically via a digital link upon leaving the crash scene. 

Click for more details on the “What Citizens Want” survey.

About CARFAX for Police

CARFAX for Police provides trusted insights and solutions that power law enforcement agencies to create better protected communities, and safer, more efficient agencies. Nearly 6,000 data-sharing law enforcement agencies across North America trust and rely upon an ever-growing, no-cost suite of web-based, digital traffic, records, training, and interoperable investigative tools and solutions that serve as force multipliers in resolving cases using more than 31 billion vehicle history records, driving workflow efficiencies, improving safety, and building better community relationships. Learn more at www.carfaxforpolice.com.