Pooling data from fatality analysis reporting system (FARS) and generalized estimates system (GES) to explore the continuum of injury severity spectrum

This paper focuses on developing a framework for pooling of data from FARS and GES data. The validation of the pooled sample against the original GES sample (unpooled sample) is carried out through two methods: (1) univariate sample comparison and (2) econometric model parameter estimate comparison. The validation exercise indicates that parameter estimates obtained using the pooled data model closely resemble the parameter estimates obtained using the unpooled data. After we confirm that the differences in model estimates obtained using the pooled and unpooled data are within an acceptable margin, we also simultaneously examine the whole spectrum of injury severity on an eleven point ordinal severity scale - no injury, minor injury, severe injury, incapacitating injury, and 7 refined categories of fatalities ranging from fatality after 30 days to instant death - using a nationally representative pooled dataset. The model estimates are augmented by conducting elasticity analysis to illustrate the applicability of the proposed framework.