Every vehicle accident should be reported and investigated with special
emphasis on those resulting in personal injury or properly damage. The
investigation is a search for the facts.
The two reasons for investigating vehicle accidents are:
- To determine the cause so that action can be taken to eliminate
or control similar occurrences, and
- To determine whether or not the accident was preventable by the
driver.
It should be the responsibility of the fleet supervisor or manager to
conduct the accident investigation. Sources of information will include
the driver’s accident report, police reports, insurance claim reports,
witness statements and photos of the scene. These may need to be supplemented by an on-the-scene investigation.
To permit proper analysis and corrective action a great deal of information must be collected. Clear, concise and prompt investigation is critical. The investigator should determine the following:
Date, Day of Week, Hour (exact time of accident)
Exact location (street address or measured distance from identifiable object)
Names, Addresses, Operators License Numbers
Names, Addresses, Ages, Sex, Nature of Injuries, Relationship to Accident (driver, passenger, passerby, etc.)
Names, Address, What they saw, Relationship to Accident, Exact Description (Color, size, shape, etc.)
Precise direction, speed and nature of movement at time of accident of all vehicles involved.
State of health, medication, time since last rest period, drugs or intoxication, training, experience, MVR.
Brakes (test if possible), Maintenance Records, Component Failure
Determine exact weather conditions at time of accident. Check accident scene under similar conditions if possible.
Determine if roadway contributed to accident. Photograph roadway and surroundings from view point of all vehicles involved.
Retrace entire trip, all stops, time and activity at each stop. Review driver’s log. Determine why trip and route were scheduled as they were. Did route or schedule contribute to accident?
Prepare exact diagram of total accident scene. Show all measurements (roadway, shoulder, distance to fixed objects, skid marks for each wheel, etc.) Locate any item which might have had an effect (bushes, trees, rocks, culverts, spills, holes, etc.) All measurements should be made with a steel tape and verified by a witness.
All physical conditions should be documented with photographs. These will include accident scene, damage or any other items which would be desirable to preserve.
Summary
The accident investigation, no matter how well done, will have no value unless it is carefully analyzed to determine the cause and corrective action is taken to prevent recurrence. The investigation will help you learn from driving mistakes.
Source: Sentry Insurance