Location filters in AASHTOWare Safety help users narrow down their search area while conducting analyses. These filters are categorized into geo filters and non-geo location filters. An explanation of the difference between these filter types is available below.
Non-Geo Location Filter
A non-geo location filter uses location information documented in the crash report itself, such as city, street name, or intersection, rather than the crash's geopoint. This filter does not rely on map geometry but instead filters crashes based on textual or coded location fields reported by the responding officer or agency. For example, a non-geo County filter will display a crash based on what was provided in the crash report, rather than its geopoint.
Geo Filter
A geo filter is a spatial filter applied to map-based data using geographical boundaries. By default, crashes are shown on the map based on its latitude and longitude (geopoint). When a geo filter is added, it displays only crashes with a geopoint that falls within the defined geographic area of the filter. Geo filters display a polygon around the location’s boundaries. For example, a County (Geo) filter displays the county boundaries and populates any crashes that have geopoints within that county's boundaries.
(The results for the City and City (Geo) filters for the same city in Idaho)
Filter Information
Because of the differences between these location filter types, it is common to have discrepancies between the number of crashes displayed with a geo filter and a non-geo location filter for the same county, city, MPO, or any other specified location type.
The types of geo filters available vary state by state. Some states have geo-filters for cities, counties, MPOs, regional MPOs, districts, school districts, townships, etc.
(The results for the City and City (Geo) filters for the same city in Idaho)