NCJ Number
15059
Date Published
1960
Length
52 pages
Annotation
PILOT STUDY WHICH USED SCIENTIFICALLY TRAINED STAFF TO GATHER DATA ON HOW AND WHY ACCIDENTS OCCUR.
Abstract
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM, COMPOSED OF A MEDICAL REPRESENTATIVE, AN ENGINEERING SCIENTIST, AND A BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST, STUDIED FIRST-HAND 68 ORDINARY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. THE TEAM MEMBERS, WHO WERE NOT GIVEN ANY SPECIAL TRAINING IN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, COLLECTED ALL DATA FOR THE ANALYSIS. (THIS APPROACH WAS INTENDED TO AFFORD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ORIGINAL IDEAS ABOUT ACCIDENTS AND ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION). REVIEWED IN THIS REPORT ARE THE PROBLEMS AND EXPERIENCES OF DATA COLLECTION, ESPECIALLY THAT OF TRYING TO DISCOVER CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS FROM THE INFORMATION WHICH IS USUALLY AVAILABLE, SUCH AS DRIVERS' STATEMENTS AND POLICE REPORTS. EIGHTEEN ONE-PAGE DATA SHEETS WERE DEVELOPED FOR THIS STUDY - TWO FOR MEDICAL DATA, NINE FOR ENGINEERING INFORMATION, AND SEVEN FOR BEHAVIORAL INFORMATION. STUDY RESULTS INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPERATIONAL (AS OPPOSED TO CONDITIONAL) CONCEPT OF ACCIDENT CAUSES, A COMPREHENSIVE PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING FACTORS WHICH COMBINE TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS, AND AN EVALUATION OF PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF FORMING JUDGEMENTS ABOUT ACCIDENT CAUSES. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENTS STUDIED WERE ALWAYS PRESENT IN COMBINATION AND ONLY CONDITION FACTORS WERE CONSIDERED. THE STREETS CONDITIONS (ESPECIALLY VIEW OBSTRUCTION) CONTRIBUTED MORE FACTORS THAN WAS EXPECTED. THE 'SUBURBAN MATRON', AND NOT THE 'TEENAGE TERROR', WAS SUGGESTED AS THE PERSONALITY TYPE MOST LIKELY TO BECOME INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. FOR RELATED DOCUMENTS, SEE NCJ-15060, 'AN INVENTORY OF FACTORS SUGGESTED AS CONTRIBUTING TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS' AND NCJ-15033, 'CONCEPTS AND CLASSIFICATIONS OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CAUSES.