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#   Release Notes  #
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03/02/2022: 
This is the first release of the 2020 FARS annual file.
    1. Publish VPICDECODE and VPICTRAILERDECODE files. These files are created using NHTSA's vPIC tool and contains the vPIC decode results for cleanly decoded VINs. 
       For detailed information about this file, please refer to "Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing (vPIC) Analytical User's Manual, 2020" 
    2. ADS related data fields are discontinued.
    3. Starting from this file release, the FARS file directory structure has been changed beginning 1982. 
       Auxiliary files are zipped separately from the rest of the FARS files. 
       For each year, there are two folders, one for national and one for Puerto Rico. 
       In each folder, there are four zip files 
        - one zip file for Auxiliary SAS files 
        - one zip file for Auxiliary CSV files
        - one zip file for non-Auxiliary SAS files
        - one zip file for non-Auxiliary CSV files

03/08/2022: 
ACCIDENT.CSV file for Puerto Rico is updated to add the missing WEATHER column.

04/03/2023: 
This is the first release of the 2020 FARS final file.

4/01/2024: 
updated acc_aux, veh_aux, per_aux, miacc, midrvacc, miper files

04/08/2025:
updated vehicle, nmdistract, person, acc_aux, veh_aux, and per_aux files


Refer to the "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2023," for guidance when using these data. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813706

The vPICDecode and vPICTrailerDecode files are created using NHTSA's vPIC tool and contain the vPIC decode results for cleanly decoded VINs. For detailed information about these files, please refer to "Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing (vPIC) Analytical User's Manual, 2023" https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813697

Format files are provided as SAS Viya. For use on 32-bit or 64-bit environments, use the formats20.sas program file and compile it to create the format catalog file.