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Forensic collision investigator

Forensic collision investigator

Health and science

Level 6 - Professional Occupation

Investigate and reconstruct road traffic and other vehicle-related incidents using scientific and engineering principles to determine how an incident occurred.

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Reference: OCC0850

Status: inventory_2Occupational standard without apprenticeship

Average (median) salary: £36,369 per year

SOC 2020 code: 3319 Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 3319/99 Protective service associate professionals n.e.c.
  • 2434/01 Intelligence analysts
  • 3582/99 Health and safety managers and officers n.e.c.

Technical Education Products

ST0850:

Forensic collision investigator (integrated degree)

(Level 6)

Retired

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Metropolitan Police, Staffordshire Police, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, West Yorkshire Police, North Wales Police, Northumbria Police, London Ambulance Service, Essex Police, Surrey and Sussex Police, Independent Collision Investigation Services, Wagstaff Forensic Consultancy, DPD, AiTS, Institute of Traffic Investigators, DeMontfort University, Chartered Society of Forensic Science, National Police Chiefs Council, College of Policing, BRAKE

Summary

This occupation is found in both the public and private sector in organisations such as the Police, large fleet operators and civil litigation law firms.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to investigate and reconstruct road traffic and other vehicle-related incidents using scientific and engineering principles to determine how an incident occurred. Practitioners provide expert opinion to relevant parties including courts and other arenas.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with Departments, fleet operators or individuals dealing with internal or external complaints or insurance claims, Criminal, Civil and Coroners Courts, the Employment Disciplinary & Tribunal process and members of the legal profession.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for identifying, preserving and recording physical evidence from the scene of an incident. This includes photographing / videoing the incident scene and as appropriate, surveying the scene, preparing scale plans and other visual representations, conducting tests or forensic examinations towards building a reconstruction. Sometimes these road collision incidents can be traumatic.They will review witness evidence, test it against the physical evidence and use expert knowledge to provide analysis and provide advice and guidance to support an investigation. They produce key documents such as briefing notes, technical and expert witness reports which could be used in court as evidence for a criminal conviction and liaise with relevant parties to present the findings of the investigation and reconstruction. They provide ‘expert’ testimony at court or any hearing, complying with the legislative requirements of the Criminal Procedure Rules and the Civil Procedure Rules as appropriate. Although working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, they have sole responsibility for the investigation including the production and sign off of reports..

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Metropolitan Police, Staffordshire Police, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, West Yorkshire Police, North Wales Police, Northumbria Police, London Ambulance Service, Essex Police, Surrey and Sussex Police, Independent Collision Investigation Services, Wagstaff Forensic Consultancy, DPD, AiTS, Institute of Traffic Investigators, DeMontfort University, Chartered Society of Forensic Science, National Police Chiefs Council, College of Policing, BRAKE

Typical job titles include:

Accident investigator
coding
Collision investigator
Collision reduction officer
Forensic collision investigator

Keywords:

Collision
Engineering
Forensic
Investigate
Science
Traffic

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: What hazards are likely to be found at the scene of an incident and how to mitigate them to establish a safe working environment.
K2: How to preserve, record and analyse the scene of an incident. This may include examining, measuring, photographing, videoing and mapping the locus of the incident, the vehicles and other physical material present.
K3: How to accurately obtain the deceleration and acceleration rates of a vehicle using an accelerometer. How to establish deceleration and acceleration rates of vehicles and other objects by drag testing, from manufacturers’ data or other documents.
K4: How to recover, critically appraise and interpret data from various data recorders such as digital tachographs, electronic control units, insurance data boxes.
K5: How to measure crush damage to a motor vehicle following a collision. Understand how crush damage, equivalent energy speed (EES) and equivalent barrier speed (EBS) can be used to calculate velocity change and the actual speed of vehicles.
K6: How to use Newtonian mechanics in collision investigation.
K7: Know how to use and obtain results from spreadsheets and other math calculation software.
K8: Be conversant with published literature around human factors for use in investigations. Know how environmental factors may affect persons and vehicles involved in the collision.
K9: What constitutes a critical speed state and understand what criteria to apply to a vehicle in critical speed
K10: The kinematics involved when a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle. Know which throw model to apply in the particular circumstances to find speed.
K11: The handling characteristics of a two wheeled motorcycle and the various ways in which control can be lost. Know how to calculate speed from wheelbase shortening.
K12: Know how to evaluate video footage to calculate the speed of relevant objects.
K13: Following a collision, how to design and run experiments to obtain additional information to aid in a reconstruction ensuring that the results are valid, unambiguous and statistically sound.
K14: How to perform statistical calculations to find the uncertainty in calculations.
K15: How use software to produce plans, simulations and 3D models to assist in the reconstruction of an incident.
K16: How to design and execute a research project to reach balanced and valid conclusions.
K17: Following a collision, how to undertake a vehicle examination. Identify the mechanical component of the vehicle including tyres, brakes, suspension and steering. Identify both active and passive safety systems fitted to the vehicle. Identify the components of a vehicles electrical system. Know how to investigate/interrogate those components to detect defects and faults that may affect the handling of the vehicle (vehicles up to 7500kg and motorcycles).
K18: The law in relation to the writing of expert witness reports and what an expert may or may not say in Court.
K19: How to present evidence to a Court, tribunal or other arena.
K20: How emergency services work both individually and collaboratively at collision scenes and during the post-collision process.

S1: Determine the hazards and implement a safe working environment appropriate to the activity.
S2: Identify, preserve and mark the evidence found at the scene of an incident and/or on vehicles and objects relevant to the investigation.
S3: Document the scene and scene evidence including vehicles and other relevant features by notes (electronic, written, or audio or a combination) taking measuring either electronically or using manual measuring techniques.
S4: Photograph and video the incident scene including vehicles and other relevant features and objects.
S5: Use software to create visual products including 2D plans, 3D models and simulations using software.
S6: During a vehicle examination identify, document and record the condition of vehicle systems and component parts. Identify defects and faults
S7: Following a vehicle examination, describe how any vehicle defects found during the examination process would affect the roadworthiness of a vehicle and how it would or would not have contributed to the collision.
S8: Determine the deceleration and acceleration rates of vehicles and other objects using an accelerometer or by drag testing. Adjust the data to take account of slope or partial braking.
S9: Recover data from data recorders including digital tachographs, vehicle ECU’s and vehicle telematics.
S10: Use the appropriate technique to measure the crush damage caused to a vehicle(s) involved in a collision, assess the principle direction of force and any other adjusting factors to calculate speed.
S11: Using Newtonian mechanics calculate speed, time, distance and acceleration
S12: Use spreadsheets and other math calculation software to assist in the investigation process.
S13: Calculate the range of uncertainty in any calculations.
S14: Analyse and interpret the data from data recorders, including ECU’s, digital tachographs, performance computers and vehicle telematics.
S15: Use an appropriate method to calculate the driver response time in a variety of situations such as night time recognition, limited visibility, low contrast and looming situations.
S16: Calculate the critical speed of vehicles and/or bends.
S17: Calculate vehicle speed from pedestrian throw.
S18: Calculate speed from CCTV footage.
S19: Following a collision, use the appropriate technique to measure the damage to a motorcycle and use the data to calculate its immediate approach speed.
S20: Demonstrate how EES, EBS and momentum can be used to assess the speed of a vehicle involved in a collision.
S21: Maintain the integrity and security of digital data.
S22: Describe the behaviour of a vehicle in the immediate lead up to and during an incident.
S23: Carry out experiments as part of an investigation.
S24: Interpret and incorporate the results from published literature into the investigation.
S25: Identify, record and comment upon the condition of the vehicle, systems and component parts to identify defects, roadworthiness, incident causation, contributory factors
S26: Analyse the scene data, witness evidence any experiment’s, calculations and examinations to prepare a written report into the circumstances of a collision.
S27: Prepare written reports and in accordance the rules, regulations and guidance in force in relation to expert witnesses.
S28: Present evidence to a court or other arena e.g. criminal, civil, Coroners’ courts, tribunal or hearing.
S29: Critically review a completed investigation carried out by another investigator. Give written and oral feedback as part of the review.
S30: Liaise with other emergency services personnel to ensure that scene evidence is not lost as a result of poor communication between different services.
S31: Critically appraise current subject literature and analyse shortcomings
S32: Identify a research need and develop a research question.
S33: Using the scientific method conduct experiments or analysis to test a hypothesis.
S34: From research develop valid and robust conclusions based on observations.

B1: Accountability - For self and others to ensure that actions are in the best interest of affected parties
B2: Professional integrity - Maintain the highest standards of professionalism and trustworthiness, making sure that values, moral codes and ethical standards are always upheld
B3: Emotionally astute - Understand and effectively manage own emotions in stressful situations and treat people with sensitivity
B4: Team working - Collaboration, influence, and respect for others. Value diversity and difference in approaches to work, thinking and background
B5: Supportive & inspirational leading - Role model the organisational values providing inspiration and clarity to colleagues and stakeholders. Consider how the wider organisation and others are impacted, and help others to deliver their objectives effectively
B6: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - Critically review published research. Accountability of own and others development needs, undertaking CPD. Curiosity of science, mathematics and engineering, proactively developing knowledge to ensure that decisions are based on strong evidence

Duties

Duty D1

Maintain a high standard of professionalism adhering to the codes of practice and conduct of the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators (ITAI) or the Chartered Society of Forensic Science (CSoFS)

Duty D2

Ensure all activities, pre-scene, scene and post scene are in compliance with either the organisations Standard Operating Procedures or the Good Practice Guides published on the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators website

Duty D3

When requested to attend an incident site, decide on the level of response required and on arrival at the incident liaise with others to ensure a proper and thorough investigation can be carried out

Duty D4

Decide on and implement a strategy to identify and record the scene evidence using the appropriate techniques and equipment

Duty D5

Secure and recover digital data for later analysis

Duty D6

Identify, design, & conduct vehicle examinations to identify defects and faults which may or may not have contributed to the incident. Incorporate the findings into the investigation process

Duty D7

Review witness evidence and where appropriate incorporate their evidence into the investigation process

Duty D8

Review published papers, carry out research, design and conduct tests to aid in any investigation or to aid the understanding of the collision investigation community

Duty D9

Use Newtonian mechanics in the investigation process to describe the behaviour of vehicle and calculate speed. Report on the degree of uncertainty in any calculations

Duty D10

During the investigation, consider whether human factors were a contributory factor in an incident

Duty D11

Use specialist software and advanced collision investigation techniques to aid in an investigation

Duty D12

Undertake critical review of own investigations and those of others. Ensure that the output is valid by understanding the underpinning research and when that research can be appropriately applied to a reconstruction or if it requires a wider confidence interval in those circumstances.

Duty D13

Take the results of an investigation and write documents such as briefing notes, technical or expert witness reports for use as evidence in various situation e.g. at Courts, in tribunals or hearings. Prepare joint statements

Duty D14

Liaise with relevant parties to present the findings of the investigation and reconstruction. e.g. insurance companies, lawyers, tribunals & managers

Duty D15

Present evidence as an expert witness to a court or other arena