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Developments in Traffic Crash Investigation. Errol Brown

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Developments in Traffic Crash Investigation. Errol Brown Developments in Traffic Crash Presentation E.C. Brown Developments In Traffic Crash Investigation New Zealand Police During Period 1 July 1992 To 31 March 2005 E.C. Brown New Zealand Police ABSTRACT Over the last decade there have been major changes within New Zealand Police in Serious Traffic Crash Investigation. This paper discusses the changes, some of the problems and techniques used by encountered by Investigators and concludes with a short discussion on the next round of changes.i. 1 Developments in Traffic Crash Presentation E.C. Brown 1. INTRODUCTION My starting point is 1 July 1992 when the Traffic Safety Service, was amalgamated with New Zealand Police. Overnight Police underwent a dramatic change. The first major issue encountered was that administration and funding for of road safety1 is controlled by a joint government programme that specifies service delivery and performance measures. The document sets out the requirements for all Traffic Enforcement including Crash Investigation. The publicity on the police enforcement programme is driven by our response to the Government’s requirements. The second major issue flows from the funding stream. All crashes are serious, but Police do not have the resources or funding to investigate all traffic crashes in depth. We are aware that fatal crashes have the highest public interest and conclude with a Coroners Court hearing. With the ability of the Coroner to make recommendations to prevent accidental deaths, if we can determine the causes of these crashes correctly, improvements in road design, enforcement or education to prevent future fatalities, will also reduce the incidence of other crashes. By 1992, three Ministry of Transport staff had been trained in USA to use the latest emerging techniques of technical crash Investigation2. Police have built on that knowledge base. The widespread introduction of scientific precision and methodology is a tribute to the advanced thinking of Police Managers and an indication of their commitment to thoroughly discharge the task. The aim of the Serious Crash Investigator is to identify the causative and related factors that caused a traffic crash and report those facts to the appropriate authority, which may be Road Constructors, Road Controlling Authorities, (RCA’s), Safety Authorities, the Judicial or Coronial courts. It is NOT the duty of the Investigator to decide or recommend criminal charges. Simply to identify the factors that contributed towards a crash. 2. ORGANISATION Police are divided into 12 autonomous geographic districts. Policy is determined at the Office of the Commissioner, with the District Commander directly responsible to the Commissioner for delivering the operational function. A National Adviser, attached to the Commissioner’s office supplies advice to the National Road Policing Manager and tries to co-ordinate districts to a common theme. The role does not have operational or line control over field staff. 1 NZ Road Safety (Administration) Programme 2004/2005, jointly prepared by MOT, Police and the former LTSA, is signed off by the respective Ministers. It funds all road safety measures including police enforcement. 2 Superintendent Gyde (Retd) , Inspectors Brown and Kelly. Northwestern Uni. Illinois USA 2 Developments in Traffic Crash Presentation E.C. Brown Within the local district, the Serious Crash Units, (SCU) generally report to the Road Policing Manager. Frequently they are attached to the Highway Patrols and share their livery. The majority of districts operate a range of specialist vehicles. Photograph 1Wellington District SCU Vehicle 3. MANAGEMENT OF CRASH UNITS Since the early 1980’s the Traffic Safety Service (TSS) had been investigating and reporting all Traffic Crashes. As time moved on, police officers lost this skill or were promoted from front line duties. By integration date, police did not have any staff trained specifically to investigate crashes using modern scientific procedures. Former TSS staff continued the role. Budget cuts in the early 1990’s stopped all Crash Investigation training and skills were being lost. Assistant Commissioner Phil Wright, travelled to the UK and Europe during 1995. He returned and submitted a paper stating that New Zealand was falling behind its peers in this specialist area and that improvements were needed. This paper was the catalyst that lead to the present situation. With the support of the Assistant Commissioner and my Region Commander, I was fortunate to obtain a Churchill Fellowship and travelled overseas for additional specialist training3. On my return, I was instructed to establish a training system using modern techniques in the then Region Four. From this small start and with key support from top management, over the next nine years three District Management systems evolved. The first Management type is the most popular. Centralised: This model was first established in the Waikato District, which was the first to create a Serious Crash Unit based at a central location. These units have at least three fully dedicated Investigators. The maximum number currently is eight. They may be controlled by an NCO and usually have fully dedicated vehicles. The unit provides a 24/7 service. It is normal for the on call staff to take a marked vehicle home as this reduces call out response times. An example is the Auckland North Shore Unit, based at the former administration complex of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. This unit investigates all fatal crashes on the Auckland Motorways and the North Shore district. They operate the full range of police equipment and have the only photogrammetric unit in the country. Other Centralised units are based at Northern District (Whangarei) Auckland City, Counties/Manukau, Waikato, Central (Palmerston North), Wellington and Canterbury. With the exception of Northern, Central and Canterbury a Sergeant controls the each unit. Within this group there are approximately thirty-two full time crash Investigators. 3 Texas (A&M) Uni, College Station, Texas. 3 Developments in Traffic Crash Presentation E.C. Brown Dispersed: Units in this model are based in Tasman, Southern, and Bay of Plenty. Within these districts are a number of individual staff who have a full time role investigating serious traffic crashes. Because of geographic placement, the investigators normally report to a non specialist Sergeant – usually from the Highway patrol. Examples are Invercargill, Dunedin, Nelson, Blenheim, Taupo and Greerton. The model works best where crashes are relatively few ie no more than 40 or so a year. The Bay of Plenty District which includes Tauranga, Rotorua and Taupo is managing a change from the dispersed to a centralised model. In these districts the plan is that all crashes will be investigated by one of the full time specialist. This group has nine staff. Some are full time investigators, others probably between 70%and 80% full time equivalent investigation duty. The numbers tend to vary according to the crash rates. Portfolio. This is where a General Duties officer, or a Highway Patrol member has had the specialist training and investigates crashes on a part time basis. Only Eastern District, based at Napier/Hastings adhere to this model. Generalist staff. In addition there are approximately another 20 staff, trained to the higher levels, not necessarily Forensic Mappers, who will investigate crashes and submit reports using the standard methodology. These members may attend only one or two crashes a year and are generally found in the more remote locations. 4. PROVENANCE Traffic Crash Investigation is based on the Laws of Motion set out by Sir Isaac Newton. I am aware that some scientists challenge the validity of some of the laws, but at the speeds attained by motor vehicles and within the confines of Sir Isaac’s theories, they work very well. Lets keep it simple! By introducing scientific precision, the successful investigator has a basis for understanding the crash sequence. To do so there will be a combination of various disciplines, some of which are academic qualifications in their own right. • Art – (photographs diagrams etc). It helps to be able to draw. • Mechanics – How things “work” or happen. • The Law Legal requirements, restrictions etc. • English – To communicate the results. For all Traffic Crashes there are two basic facts. First, the principle of Conservation of Energy tells us that the faster we go – the longer it takes to stop – or the bigger the crash. Second, Sir Isaac’s first Law of Motion is that all objects move in straight lines – unless affected by some external source. If the Investigator keep these two principles in mind, it is possible by carefully noting and recording the scene evidence, to eliminate conjectures, to untangle the usually conflicting stories and theories as to the crash cause. 4 Developments in Traffic Crash Presentation E.C. Brown 5. TRAINING With twelve autonomous districts one of the bigger challenges is in ensuring that staff are properly trained, supervised and producing a uniform result. The training is based on a US University syllabus, now delivered by an ex Christchurch City Traffic Officer, now a full time Sergeant in the Queensland Police. New Zealand police are one of the very few police organisations to have a regular training system based around a standard syllabus. The New Zealand training structure follows a tiered process. Level One is that given to recruits during their initial training at the Royal New Zealand Police College by our “in house” staff. This is little more than Crash Reporting. Level two is that of the Scene Investigator. Here the focus is on getting the reporting mechanisms correct. To have accurate Traffic Crash Reports and a hand prepared plan that is legible. The investigator is given some technical training in dynamics, sufficient to at least enable the individual to be alerted when an erring driver presents a statement that is at variance with the facts. The primary focus is on collecting and documenting the forensic evidence in a manner which can withstand later examination.
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