Road Traffic Accident Investigation

In the road traffic accident investigation industry independent collision investigators are often instructed in unusual cases.

Insurance companies are a growing client of road traffic accident investigator (traditionally, their work was funded by the LSC). One such case which I came across recently was that of a French lorry driver who was charged with causing death by careless driving. The driver's insurance company were looking for a dual skilled Collision Investigator and Vehicle Examiner who could bring their expertise to bear in investigating the causes of the accident.

In order to get the investigation underway the expert decided to take the following course by investigating: time taken for the old lady (a pensioner) to reach the point of impact, the conspicuity of the pedestrian, given that a slower moving object in the peripheral vision is much less obvious, time taken to slow the vehicle at its weight at the time of collision from various speeds, the sight lines from the vehicle across the cab given the drivers weight (this kind of vehicle has an adjustable, air ride seat which sinks when the drivers weight is applied), any other vehicle defect that may have caused it to perform below its normal standard, whether the driver was within his tacograph limits, as fatigue is a major factor in the loss of awareness, and a thorough read of the Police Collision Investigators report to establish whether they had considered all the factors.

In this case the investigator actually had to travel to the place where the vehicle was located, which in this case was France.

His vehicle examination concluded that the the driver would have had a better view of the point of impact the further he was from it. Given that microscope analysis of the tacograph identified a speed of not in excess of 23mph, and that the consultant had been able to calculate deceleration rates under braking, he was able to piece together what was in view from the point where the pedestrian stepped from the pavement to her impact with the vehicle. All of this information was then pieced together in the form of a report, plan, photo album and DVD video footage with the intention of attempting to explain the nuances of a highly technical investigation to a jury.

The outcome for the driver was that in this instance he had made a mistake with the terrible consequence that an elderly woman had been killed. The exact cause of the driver's lack of awareness will be known only to him. From the legal point of view, they were able to advise that he was unlikely to be able to construct a reasonable defence and the insurance company were advised accordingly.

This case study reveals several interesting realities of the collision investigation industry.

At the very least it shows how complicated a job it is, as well as how varied it can be. In our day to day lives we do not concern ourselves with the mechanics of how these kind of investigations work behind the scenes, yet upon examination it proves to be fascinating.

by: Kai Perry

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