Please report all traffic incidents (or near misses) in the West Menlo Park area, especially those along the Santa Cruz / Alameda corridor (see map). San Mateo County does not use an accident/crash data source that adequately records all accidents. County only uses the state SWITRS system, but this system only contains a small fraction of the actual crash incidents that occur. County is therefore missing the majority of crashes that occur in West Menlo Park.
To correct this undercounting of traffic incidents, our community maintains a West Menlo Traffic Incident report. You may report crashes, accidents, or similar incidents (near misses, sideswiped mirrors, trash cans hit by traffic, etc). While these are tallied separately, the data provides a more complete perspective of traffic safety and can point to areas that need safety improvements.
This additional factual information will help Public Works have more realistic and accurate data ignorer to set priorities and provide a sense of urgency for correcting or mitigating unsafe conditions and speeds.
The West Menlo Accident Report, started in 2017, is the West Menlo Park community’s recording of traffic incidents. In 2023, it also allows the recording of a broader category of traffic incidents: Near misses, parked car damage, vehicles crashing into trash bins, pets being struck by traffic, road rage, unsafe roadway locations, etc.
There is also a traffic incident reporting system for cyclists: Cyclist Video Evidence You may submit cyclist accidents, crashes or near misses on that system. It only supports cyclist involved incidents.
The Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System (SWITRS) is used by County and other agencies. It is used to set speed limits and aid road design; however, it is known that it doesn’t record a vast number of accidents and thus drastically undercounts accidents. Thus, using only SWITRS as a source for understanding location and frequency of accidents gives a false premise for speed limits and safety provisions in the roadway.
Updated Feb 2023, Safer4Us.com