HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION ACTIVITIES

• NCJ Number: 44917
• Author(s): J D BAIRD; E E FLAMBOE
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Soc of Automotive Engineers
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING MEETING IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN, OCTOBER, 13-17, 1975

Annotation

RESEARCH ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES IS REVIEWED AND ASSESSED.

Abstract

TWO PRIOR STATE-OF-THE-ART DISCUSSIONS OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION ARE NOTED, AND ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION PROJECTS ARE DISCUSSED. EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE EVOLUTION OF RESEARCH DESIGNS AND TECHNIQUES AND ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS FOR GENERATING ACCIDENT DATA. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN CANADA, ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, AND SOUTH AFRICA ARE NOTED, AS IS A MULTICOUNTRY STUDY UNDERTAKEN IN EUROPE BY THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SYSTEM. TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION ARE NOTED, INCLUDING A COMPUTER SIMULATION MODEL FOR USE IN RECONSTRUCTING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION METHODOLOGY FOCUSES ON THE GATHERING OF EVIDENCE AND THE LIMITED RELIABILITY OF WITNESS ACCOUNTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING SEVERE PROPERTY DAMAGE AND/OR SERIOUS INJURY OR FATALITY, COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS THAT GO BEYOND THE DETERMINATION OF FAULT OR LIABILITY SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LM)