I attended the regular quarterly meeting of CATAIR\u00a0last Friday – this time at Dartmouth Crossing to\u00a0enable some field testing, and learned a few things, both encouraging and disturbing.<\/p>\n
CATAIR along with ACTAR are two separate associations of traffic accident investigators.\u00a0 The one is a forum for investigators to meet and share experiences and ideas.\u00a0 The other is an accrediting organization for investigators. (Ref. 1)<\/p>\n
It`s in order to take\u00a0an interest in this field of practice\u00a0considering the number of traffic fatalities in Atlantic Canada in a year, not a few of which result in charges under the law, civil litigation or insurance claims.<\/p>\n
Encouraging<\/strong><\/p>\n I suggested last week that it is\u00a0important that your traffic accident expert is well trained, experienced and accredited.\u00a0 That is still true.\u00a0 ACTAR can\u00a0perhaps be seen to be the ultimate and most demanding accrediting group.<\/p>\n However, I did learn at the meeting on Friday that there\u00a0are qualifying programs in Canada that\u00a0are demanding enough.\u00a0\u00a0They vary across the country but generally require that\u00a0traffic accident reconstructionists study and train\u00a0and go through several levels of\u00a0qualification.<\/p>\n A course for police officers comprises three main levels.\u00a0 Two levels are done in the area in which the applicant serves and\u00a0focuses on investigation<\/em> of the traffic accident.\u00a0 The third is completed at\u00a0a\u00a0Canadian Police College and covers reconstruction<\/em> of the accident.\u00a0 I understand that members of the public can take this course for a fee.<\/p>\n It’s important\u00a0that an investigator\u00a0reconstruct a traffic accident generally in accordance with the procedures\u00a0his peers in the area would follow, and to have comparable qualifications.\u00a0 That is, to measure up to the standard of care<\/em> existing in\u00a0his area of Canada at the time.\u00a0(Refs 2, 3)\u00a0That standard is certain to include the expectation that you went through\u00a0a qualifying program of some sort, in view of the fact they do exist.<\/p>\n If charges or a dispute arises from the traffic accident the investigative procedures followed by the investigator may be evaluated\u00a0by\u00a0his peers at the report writing stage or the\u00a0discovery and trial stages,\u00a0according to the standard of care.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n I mentioned a few days ago that the meeting on Friday would do the following things, and these got done:<\/p>\n There are school bus safety features too numerous to mention, but the bus driver\u00a0did a good job\u00a0briefing us on these.\u00a0 Proper thing parents would say. These features include:<\/p>\n I was impressed to learn that these very large buses when empty, at a speed of 50\u00a0km\/hour can be stopped within about 2\/3 to 3\/4\u00a0the length of a bus when the brakes are applied.\u00a0 Dr. Stu Smith, C. Tyner and Associates,\u00a0measured these speeds and stopping distances with a\u00a0braking test computer.\u00a0 Skid resistance or sliding resistance\u00a0of the asphalt pavement was also\u00a0measured by consultants using a drag sled, a test that is very similar to the coefficient of friction test in high school physics.<\/p>\n Disturbing<\/strong><\/p>\n What disturbed me was the school bus driver’s blind spots at the back.\u00a0 I sensed from the tone of the bus driver`s\u00a0voice that these are worrying.\u00a0 They just can`t see everything at the back of the bus from the driver`s seat regardless the number and size of the rear view mirrors.<\/p>\n I think it’s also going to be interesting to see the results of the rear wheel off-tracking measurements.\u00a0 The rear wheels are in\u00a0a different place to the front wheels when a bus is turning.\u00a0 It`s in order for the bus driver to know where they`re at, a skill acquired by the time the driver gets his licence.\u00a0 Not so easy dealing with the blind spots.\u00a0 The\u00a0wheel tracks were accurately located by RCMP Corporal Michel Lanteigne, Tracadie, NB using total stations land surveying equipment.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Why should you take an interest in all of this?\u00a0 How about 18 traffic fatalities on Prince Edward Island Island last year, and\u00a0possibly more in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland.\u00a0 And all quite likely got investigated by traffic accident reconstructionists.\u00a0 Some of these I’m sure resulted in charges and possibly disputes arose and civil litigation begun.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Ken Zwicker, the CATAIR regional director, organized a very instructive meeting and kept it “moving right along“ during the day.\u00a0 Corporal Lanteigne – who travelled the farthest, a 9.5 hour round trip,\u00a0was everywhere during\u00a0our field work on Friday, including on Ken`s heels.\u00a0 Others came from Fredericton, I think Saint John, and from Prince Edward Island.\u00a0\u00a0Several of us\u00a0travelled all of 20 minutes from Halifax.<\/p>\n References<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I attended the regular quarterly meeting of CATAIR\u00a0last Friday – this time at Dartmouth Crossing to\u00a0enable some field testing, and learned a few things, both encouraging and disturbing. I felt good learning that there\u00a0are training and qualifying programs in Canada … Continue reading \n
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