NCJ Number
62432
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 24 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 790-807
Date Published
1979
Length
18 pages
Annotation
A MOTOR VEHICLE PAINT SAMPLE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM IS DISCUSSED, ENCOMPASSING DETAILED MICROSCOPIC AND CHEMICAL DATA ON AMERICAN AND FOREIGN CARS.
Abstract
A NUMBER OF MOTOR VEHICLE PAINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, BUT THE VARIETY OF PAINT COLORS, PAINTING TECHNIQUES, AND PAINT CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS USED BY MANUFACTURERS CONTINUE TO EXPAND. HOWEVER, IF A STATISTICAL REPRESENTATION OF NUMBERS OF PAINT SAMPLES FROM ALL MANUFACTURERS IS GIVEN, MANUFACTURERS, MODELS, YEARS, ASSEMBLY PLANTS, PARTIAL VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS, AND REGISTERED OWNERS CAN BE RAPIDLY IDENTIFIED FROM SAMPLES TAKEN AT ACCIDENT SCENES. CURRENTLY, A COMPUTERIZED CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM USING 10,000 SAMPLES PROVIDES LIMITED AMOUNTS OF ALL OF THE AFOREMENTIONED INFORMATION. THE PAINT SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM ALL 1976-1977 NORTH AMERICAN AND IMPORTED CARS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS IN ALBERTA, CANADA, OVER A 7-MONTH PERIOD. ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAR IS LISTED WITH EACH PAINT SAMPLE. CODES USED TO SYSTEMATIZE COLLECTION, FILE, AND CORRELATE THE SAMPLES INCLUDE PAINT MANUFACTURERS' CODES AND AN IDENTIFICATION NUMBER GIVEN EACH SAMPLE. IN ADDITION, A MASTER FILING SYSTEM RELATES DATA FROM EACH SAMPLE TO ALL OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM. CHEMICAL AND MICROSCOPIC ANALYSES DONE FOR THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED. RESULTS INDICATE VISUAL EXAMINATION BY THE FORENSIC CHEMIST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF PAINT IDENTIFICATION. OTHER DISCUSSION COVERS PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PAINT SAMPLES AND DATA RETRIEVAL. REFERENCES, FOOTNOTES, CHARTS, AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)