NCJ Number
7885
Date Published
1963
Length
28 pages
Annotation
CONSIDERATIONS OF HOW OPINIONS ABOUT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE REACHED, WHOSE OPINIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE, AND HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE CAN BE PUT IN SUCH OPINIONS.
Abstract
ALSO CONSIDERED ARE FORMULATIONS OF OPINIONS ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACCIDENTS FOR CLAIM-SETTLEMENT PURPOSES. THE AUTHOR FOUND THAT TABULATIONS OF OBJECTIVE DATA ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CONCERNING CIRCUMSTANCES OR CONDITIONS WHICH MAY BE OBSERVED AFTER THE ACCIDENT ARE RELIABLE AND USEFUL FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. TABULATIONS OF CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WERE NOT RELIABLY OBSERVED, HOWEVER, ARE LIKELY TO BE MISLEADING. EXPERTS WITH TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE ARE REQUIRED TO FORM PROPER CONCLUSIONS. THE TRAINING WHICH THE ORDINARY POLICE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR RECEIVES IS GENERALLY INADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT, IF POLICE ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE CONCLUSIONS, THIS SHOULD BE DONE UNDER CAREFULLY SAFEGUARDED CONDITIONS - THE TYPES OF CONCLUSIONS SHOULD BE LIMITED, ONLY SPECIALIZED POLICE SHOULD BE USED, AND THE METHODS FOR COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DATA SHOULD BE STRICTLY SPECIFIED. ONLY THEN WILL SUCH POLICE CONCLUSIONS BE CONSIDERED RELIABLE ENOUGH TO FORM A SOUND BASIS FOR ACTION. BIBLIOGRAPHY (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)