Beginning today, people involved in traffic accidents in Roanoke can go online to access accident reports, saving them a trip to the police department.

The reports also will be available to lawyers and insurance companies.

The reports are scanned into a computer at the police station, converted to PDFs and made available online through a program called TRACView, at www.tracview.com.

The date of the wreck and the report number are required to access the documents, keeping the information confidential.

The Vinton Police Department also uses this system, Lt. Ben Cook said.

Previously, those involved in a wreck in the city, or their lawyers and insurance companies, had to either write a letter to the department or go to the police station in person to request the report.

The police department will continue to provide that service for people without access to Internet service.

The cost for both online reports and paper copies will remain $10. That fee will now be split between TRACView and the police department, police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson said.

Johnson said the reports should be available about three to four business days after the crash.

--Amanda Codispoti