What CHP dispatch codes mean

California Highway Patrol dispatchers use a numeric code system that predates radio voice procedure. If you are reading a dispatch log — including the ones published on this site — these are the codes you will see most often.

Collision codes

These describe what was reported, not what an investigation later confirmed.

1179 — Traffic collision, injuries reported. 1180 — Traffic collision, major injuries. 1181 — Traffic collision, minor injuries. 1182 — Traffic collision, no injuries reported. 1183 — Traffic collision, no details. Injuries are unknown at the time of the call. 11-44 — Fatality. A death is reported or confirmed at the scene.

An incident often changes code as more information arrives. A crash first dispatched as 1182 can be re-coded 1183 or 1179 minutes later. That is normal and is one reason dispatch data is preliminary.

Hit and run

20001 — Hit and run involving injury or death. 20002 — Hit and run involving property damage only.

These are California Vehicle Code section numbers used as radio shorthand.

Scene and status codes

1141 — Ambulance requested. 1148 — Tow truck requested. 1125 — Traffic hazard. 1126 — Disabled vehicle. 1085 — Tow requested to a specific location. 1039 — Message delivered or unit notified. 1097 — Unit has arrived on scene. 1098 — Assignment complete. ENRT — En route. A unit is travelling to the scene.

Abbreviations that appear in narrative lines

RP — Reporting party. The person who called it in. TC — Traffic collision. VEH — Vehicle. INV — Involved. LN — Lane. "LN 1" is the far-left lane. RHS / LHS — Right-hand shoulder, left-hand shoulder. CD — Centre divider. NFD — No further details. ADV — Advised. BLKG — Blocking. 1141 ENRT — An ambulance is on the way.

Why the codes matter when reading a crash page

A page classified as "injuries unknown" is not a page where nobody was hurt. It usually means the caller could not see inside the vehicles. Similarly, "no injuries reported" reflects what a dispatcher was told in the first minutes, often by a passing motorist who never stopped.