Professional Documents
Culture Documents
National Police Week
National Police Week
GR O
104
CDI
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
5.4
TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT
SKID MARKS AS A
INVESTIGATION
5.6
TOOL IN TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION
5.5
HIT AND RUN
ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION
SS O N
LE NT
4
5. CCI DE
F I C A O N
A F AT I
TR ST I G
IN VE
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
INVESTIGTION
Generally, to know what question to ask and
what to look for, you must have some
fundamental bearing on accidents and their
causes. When you speak of traffic accident,
everybody knows what you mean –
SOMETHING WENT WRONG on the
highway, either a wrecked car, somebody
injured or possibly killed.
A. WHAT TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION DETERMINES?
Know the five (5) “Ws” and one (1) “H” of
the incident:
■ WHAT happened?
■ WHO and WHAT was involved?
■ WHERE did it happen?
■ WHY did it happen?
■ HOW did the accident occur?
■ WHEN did the accident occur?
B. PURPOSE OF TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
There are four (4) main reasons, depending
on who does the investigation.
EVERYONE
Is curious about the causes and circumstances of the accident.
INVOLVED
ATTORNEYS AND Want to determine negligence on the part of the drivers involved in the
ADJUSTERS accident so that damage claims can be properly adjusted.
OFFICIALS AND Want specific information about accidents to know how to prevent future
OTHERS accidents.
C. COMMON WORDS AND
PHRASES USED IN TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
The following words and phrases with their
corresponding meaning are often used in the
process:
An occurrence in a sequence of events usually produces unintended injury, death, or
ACCIDENT
property damage.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT An accident involving travel transportation on a traffic way
Events resulting in unintended injury or property damage attributable directly or indirectly to the
action of a motor vehicle or its loads.
Included: Accidental injury from inhalation of exhaust gas, fires, explosion, discharge of a
firearm within the motor vehicle while in motion, collision between a motor vehicle and a
railroad train or streetcar on stationary rails or tracks, and Failure of any part of the motor vehicle
MOTOR VEHICLE while the vehicle is in motion.
ACCIDENT
Excluded: Collision of a motor vehicle with an aircraft or water-craft in motion, injury or damage
due to cataclysms (flood or sudden physical change of the earth's surface), and injury or damage
while the motor vehicle is not under its power is being loaded on or unloaded from another
conveyance.
d. Railroad train - this type of collision usually occurs along railroad crossings.
e. Bicycle - in this form of collision, it is either the motor vehicle or the bicyclists who
initiated the collision.
c. Weather condition
a. Speed is greater or less than safe.
SEQUENTIAL FACTORS
b. Defective vehicle (vehicle malfunction).
a. Road hazards
OPERATIONAL FACTORS
b. Detective non-compliance to traffic laws, rules and
regulations
When all possible causes of an accident have been grouped together
by an investigating officer and he believes the accident would not have
occurred if any one of these causes did not exist, then the investigator
may have identified the combination of factors causing the accident.
a. Point of Possible Perception -The place and time of which the hazard could have been
perceived by a normal person. It precedes actual perception and is the beginning of perception
delay.
b. Point of no Escape - It is that place and time after or beyond the accident
cannot be prevented by the traffic unit under consideration.
c. Perception delay – The time from the point of possible perception to
actual perception
This stage involves basic data This involves delayed traffic This last level usually involves
collection to identify and classify a accident data collection and final analysis on the causes of
motor vehicle, traffic and persons, organization for study and accident which are bases for the
property and planned movements interpretation prevention of similar accident
involved.
J. STEPS TAKEN BY THE POLICE
DURING TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION
Like in any other forms of police investigations, the traffic investigators follow
chronological steps in responding and investigating traffic-related accidents to
insure gathering of thorough information.
01 UPON LEARNING
THE CASE 02 START FOR
THE SCENE
With two-way radio, you can do two
things while on the way.
a. Ask first: When the accident happened; a. Choose Best Approach. Consider: Time; possible traffic jams;
where and how bad was it; did you see the possible route of driver involved; and probable situation at scene.
accident happened; and where can you be b. Drive Safely. Get there safely: if you get involved in yourself,
reached? then other units must be used.
b. Decide whether to go to the scene: Will c. Be Alert for Cars Leaving the scene: AS possible witnesses or hit
scene have been cleared by the time of arrival; and run drivers; and record registration numbers of any lie looking
is it in investigator's area; and should vehicles
headquarters be informed or consulted? d. Get Equipment Ready for Use. So far as practical on the way
c. Then find out, if necessary: Is traffic e. Look for Conditions confronting a driver approaching Scene: Low
blocked; has ambulance been called; has visibility view obstructions, and traffic control devices.
wrenched been called; and was fire apparatus f. Note Hazards to approaching Traffic: Drop helper to direct traffic
called? if necessary; and look for physical evidence. Have it guarded until it
can be examined, collected
or located.
03 UPON ARRIVAL AT THE
ACCIDENT SCENE
a. Select parking place carefully: Is it safe?; Will it block traffic?; and can headlight illuminate scene?
b. Care for injured: Stop arterial bleeding; call for help if necessary; help injured from cars safely;
protect injured from exposure; and ask for emergency assistance from bystanders from anywhere.
c. Look over bystanders and others: Look for drivers; look for possible witnesses; look for volunteers
who will help you; and get them under control
d. Have Emergencies Under Control: Have spilled gasoline guarded; look for fire and electrical
hazards; look for traffic hazards; put out fires; ask helper to direct traffic, keep bystanders off roadway;
and request help from headquarters if needed.
e. Locate drivers: Consider possibility of hit and run accident; and need to alert headquarters.
f. Measure location of short lived evidences.
g. Arrange for clearing roadway.
h. Delay removal of vehicles except to aid injured.
04 WHEN EMERGENCY IS UNDER
CONTROL
a. Preliminary questioning of drivers: Who was driving each vehicle?; Note unpremeditated Statement; and look
for signs of nervousness, confusion and intoxication.
b. Gather clues for identifying hit and run cars: Question other witnesses especially bystanders in hurry to go;
and if needed, get signed statement at once rom why who may.be hard to find later.
c. Examine drivers’ conditions: Get specimen for chemical test; and question about trip plan for possible fatigue.
d. Question drivers carefully: Check license and record data from it; verify and identify address; check registration
and record data; verify ownership and correct address; and Get step by step account of what driver saw and did.
e. Position and condition of vehicles: Note lights and light switches; note gear position and tires; mark position of
vehicles if it must be removed; and look for unusual thing inside the vehicles.
f. Form preliminary opinion as to how accident occurs.
g. Photography: Photograph skid mark and location of vehicles; and mark skid mark location for later
measurement.
h. Record place to which injured persons or damage vehicles were or will be taken.
05 AFTER GETTING SHORT-LIVE
EVIDENCE
a. Get additional evidence: Make test skids; decide whether proof of violation is sufficient for arrest; if so, make arrest or issue citation; get
additional formal statements, from witnesses remaining at the scene; and have road clear if traffic is obstructed.
b. Suggestion to drivers, if necessary: How much accidents can be avoided in the future; and tell drivers what reports they must make and
dismiss them.
c. Approach the scene by path of each traffic unit involved. Look for: View obstructions; traffic control devices, etc.; probable points of
perception; and road surface conditions.
d. Complete examinations of vehicles.
e. Locate key event of accident.
f. Make additional photographs of Vehicle damage: view obstruction; pavement's conditions; and control devices, general view, etc.
g. Establish exact location of accident and record it.
h. Measure for scale diagram if location is hard to reach.
i. Review notes of evidence or testimony: Get additional facts at scene; and identify all notes with places and time.
J. Clean up location or arrange to have it done.
k. Report to headquarters by radio or telephone. Nowadays, the cellular phone is a ready alternative in reporting to police
headquarter.
06 AFTER LEAVING THE SCENE
a. Get medical report on injured persons from doctor or hospital
b. Question drivers or witnesses: At hospital or home if not adequately questioned; and take needed additional statements.
c. Notify: Relatives of dead or injured; and/or Owner of vehicles
d. Have specimens analyzed if were taken for chemical o laboratory test.
e. Have photograph developed; get prints if needed for report
f. Complete the report of the accident: Have copies if made necessary; file report and copies; and complete factual data on
investigation report if not completed at scene.
g. Decide whether analysis of accident is warranted by the time available for making it.
h. Reconstruction of the accident: Estimate speeds of vehicles involved; draw scale diagram; analyze angle of collision; get
technical help if necessary, and summarize opinions.
i. Present case summary to a lawyer
j. Complete report or investigation.
k. Submit to superior for approval.
l. Inform other Agencies or departments of any condition at the scene which needs attention for safety.
07 IF CASE GOES TO COURT
a. Find Out what the prosecutor wants further to develop evidence.
b. Return to the scene if necessary for the following: Additional photographs of general scene and long-lived
evidence; measure for scale diagram for use in court; and Locate additional witnesses and review their testimony.
c. Locate also, if necessary: Relatives and friends who confirm activities before the accident; technicians who
developed pictures made chemical tests, etc., and expert who can help.
d. Have enlargement made of any photo needed in court
e. Enlarge scale diagram made for court use.
f. Pre-trial conference with prosecution witnesses to review testimony.
g. Insure that subpoenas are issued.
h. Testify in court.
i. Organize papers and file permanently, if necessary, for future reference.
j. Insure that the disposition of case is recorded in drivers’ record and other reports.
K. THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
REPORT
In the preparation of the traffic accident investigation report, the officer of the case must consider the following: