How open data can help save lives

The article How open data can help save lives discusses how data management can assist both public and personal safety.

At the public planning level, open data can be used determine the best placement for emergency services, how to respond in life-threatening situations, the ways in which disaster relief can be effectively dispatched to affected areas, and where to target health interventions.

At a personal safety level, open data can be used to identify residential areas with the lowest crime rates, and to determine the safest commutes to and from work.

The greatest impact comes from bringing data layers together, for example to determine areas which are at greatest risk from a number of factors.