When a crash investigator counts
Last weekend was a tragic one on our roads. There were three different crashes in three provinces. Ten people, including a baby, were killed in Limpopo. A crash in the Eastern Cape claimed the lives of six school children and a driver while in another in the Free State, two children and six adults died. Investigations have been launched into the accidents to determine the causes.
Crash investigations can provide an accurate picture of what happened in an accident. There are many things crash investigators look at to determine causes of an accident. Two of the most important include:
• Condition of the vehicle including its service history, roadworthiness and whether weekly vehicle checks were conducted.
• Assessment of the time of day, for example, whether there could be a sun reflection on the windscreen.
If, in the case of the first two crashes, vehicle maintenance is found to be an issue, the companies which manage those vehicles have reason to worry as they now face the full might of the law. They can be prosecuted for the deaths of 10 and seven people respectively. A crash investigator is highly desirable in a situation like this.
According to the Managing Director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, fleet managers whose trucks were in a crash and who have procured the services of a crash investigator, can quickly determine what level of responsibility they need to assume. “Other benefits of crash investigators include providing answers to different departments who inevitably demand this very soon and give you information which can be used in your media approach.”
One should also consider a crash investigator even before an accident happens. While your attention should be on preventing accidents, you should also know who you are going to call if it does. Crashes are time sensitive and there is no time to start looking for investigators only when accidents happen.
This will also give you time to select the correct crash investigator as not all are the same. “Some add disclaimers which make their reports invalid in court. Other investigators only have limited skills and are unable to assess whether the vehicle was maintained or determine if a mechanical malfunction is responsible. Have the right person before you are forced to make a last minute decision in a high-pressure situation,” says Herbert.
