Chapter 11 - Traffic Crash Inv - Lesson 1 Flashcards
Traffic crash
a collision involving one or more vehicles causing property damage, personal injury, serious bodily injury, or death
Step 1: Approach the traffic crash scene safely.
drive immediately and safely to the scene. Follow sound driving principles and use lights and sirens following your agency policies and statutory requirements.
STEP 2: ASSESS THE SCENE OF THE CRASH
quick assessment to decide if you need to request additional assistance. As you approach, analyze the scene from a distance to identify the extent of the traffic crash, the number of involved vehicles, and the risk for fire or hazardous materials.
First harmful event
the first event during a traffic crash that caused injury or property damage. The first harmful event determines the time, place, and type of crash.
STEP 3: SECURE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AT THE CRASH SCENE
Decide where to park your patrol vehicle, what reflective clothing to wear, and which warning devices to use to divert traffic and protect the scene.
Position Your Vehicle…
Position your vehicle to protect the scene, prevent additional crashes, and redirect the flow of traffic
Final rest
the point when all movement resulting from the crash comes to a halt
Possible injury
A possible injury is reported by the individual or is indicated by their behavior, but no wound or injury is readily evident.
Non-incapacitating injury
a non-disabling injury, such as a laceration, scrape, or bruise
Incapacitating injury
a serious bodily injury other than fatal resulting in one or more of the following:
* severe laceration resulting in exposure of underlying tissues / muscles / organs or significant loss
of blood
* broken or distorted extremity (arm or leg)
* crush injuries
* suspected skull, chest, or abdominal injury other than bruises or minor lacerations
* significant burns (second- and third-degree
burns over 10% or more of the body)
* unconsciousness when taken from the crash scene
* paralysis
Serious bodily injury
is “an injury to a person, including the driver, which consists of a physical condition that creates a substantial risk of death, serious personal disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ.”
Fatal injury
an injury resulting in an individual’s death within a 30-day period after the traffic crash accident
Non-traffic fatal injury
a fatality that is unrelated to the traffic crash accident, such as a heart attack, natural causes, suicide, or homicide
STEP 5: GATHER TRAFFIC CRASH INFORMATION
Obtain Driver’s Information
Interview People on the Scene
PHASES OF A TRAFFIC CRASH
- pre-collision
- at-collision
- post-collision
Pre-collision phase
begins when the driver becomes aware of a danger or hazard
Reaction time
the length of time between the point of perception and the beginning of the evasive action.
Evasive action
any action the driver takes to alter the speed or direction of a vehicle or to avoid danger or hazard, such as applying the brakes, turning the steering wheel, or moving the vehicle out of the way.
The point of no escape
the point in time when the crash is inevitable, regardless of the evasive action taken.
The at-collision phase
begins with the time of the initial impact or contact.
The post-collision phase
begins when the vehicles, property, or people separate, either naturally or from post-crash intervention by a person.
Area of collision (AOC)
the location of the first harmful event, or the first damage-producing
event in the traffic crash. The AOC indicates the area where the collision occurred, assists you in determining the direction a vehicle was traveling, and the probable location of the debris field
Pre-existing damage
any damage existing on a vehicle before the crash. It is usually identifiable as damage that does not fit the pattern of the crash and appears rusted, dirty, or weathered.
Contact damage is any damage that did not exist on a vehicle before the crash
- scrape marks or striations on the body of the vehicle
- material rub-off, such as paint from the other vehicle (called paint transfer), rubber, or tree bark
- fiber transfer, such as from a person’s clothing
- hair or blood
- punctures to or imprints on a bumper, guardrail, or other fixed object
Gouge
a cut into the surface of the road where some part of the vehicle removed the road surface material.
Surface mark
any mark created by a vehicle’s tire at a crash scene
Furrow mark
a type of trench dug by locked tires moving across a soft surface such as gravel, sand, grass, or dirt.
Photographs of a traffic crash scene:
- record the scene’s physical condition
- supplement other documentation
- aid in drawing conclusions about the crash
- can assist a traffic homicide investigator in reconstructing the crash
Instruments to measure evidence include, but are not limited to:
- rolling measuring wheels
- fiberglass and steel measuring tapes of various lengths
- laser measuring devices
Field sketch
a rough drawing of the scene
The officer is also responsible for submitting the report within…
10 days if it meets the criteria outlined in chapter 316, F.S
Contributing traffic violation
This violation is a direct cause or contribution to the traffic crash itself, such as a vehicle running a red light and striking another vehicle.
Non-contributing traffic violation
This violation has no direct bearing on the cause of the traffic crash; you discover it during the investigation
Non-traffic violation
This violation is a criminal offense discovered during the traffic crash investigation.
HSMV 90011S
functions as a Driver Report of Traffic Crash (Self Report) or a Driver Exchange of Information
HSMV 90010S
Florida Traffic Crash Report, which functions as a Long Form, a Short Form, or an Update Form
Crash privilege
lets them provide information about the crash to law enforcement without worrying that it will be used against them in a criminal case
Changing hats
When you tell the driver that your investigation is changing from a civil to a criminal one, their crash privilege ends
Encroachment
occurs when vehicles, property, or people begin to enter the same space at the same time and make contact, and where the first injury or damage may occur
Maximum engagement
the point at which the vehicles, property, or people crush together to the greatest extent.
A scrape
Scrapes occur between the AOC and the point of the vehicle’s final rest.
Runoff
a pool or trail of fluids escaping from a vehicle because of impact
Intermittent skid marks
a series of heavy skid marks with long gaps of more than 15 feet between them, caused by a driver who rapidly applies and releases the brakes, to stop the vehicle
Skip skid marks
a series of skid marks, usually short in length with irregular intervals between them. This pattern appears on the road when a vehicle has a sudden load shift from braking hard, causing the vehicle to bounce
Offset skid marks
skid marks that indicate a sudden change in the direction of a tire due to collision forces
A squeegee mark
a strip of dry pavement remaining after a vehicle skids on a wet road.
A scuff or yaw mark
occurs when a vehicle loses tire traction from entering a curve too fast or from oversteering
Acceleration scuff marks
from rapid acceleration from a stop, causing the tires to produce gradually fading dark tire marks.
A tire print
a mark left by a tire rolling over a soft material such as sand or dirt, or rolling through a liquid on a hard surface, such as oil, which leaves an identifiable pattern matching the tread of the tire.
