Accident Manual
Accident Manual
Accident Manual
ACCIDENT
Management,
Documentation,
&
Investigation
published by
SM
Table of Contents
Credits
Table of Contents
5. Appendix - 161
Review Questions and Exercises - Answers - 162-181
Forms and Worksheets - follows p. 181
Index - end of manual
1a. The goal of the manual By the conclusion of this chapter, investigators
will have a basic understanding of school bus
1b. How the manual is organized
accidents and school bus accident
1c. Basic objectives of the manual investigation, and will be able to:
1d. Purposes of accident investigation 1. Explain the main goal of this manual.
1e. Myths about accident investigation 2. Explain the two main purposes of accident
investigation.
1f. Reasons for investigating all school bus
accidents and incidents, including “minor” 3. Identify common myths about school bus
accidents accident investigation.
1g. Investigating near-hits 4. Explain the importance of investigating all
accidents, including “minor” accidents.
1h. Unique aspects of school bus accidents
5. Explain how to increase the reporting of
1i. Levels of accident investigation
“near-hit” incidents.
1j. Ethical guidelines for school bus accident
6. Describe three ways school bus accidents
investigators
are unique.
1k. Chapter One Review
7. Describe the various levels of accident
investigation.
8. Describe the pressures sometimes faced
by accident investigators, and the personal
standards and ethical qualities needed to
investigate accidents professionally.
The manual was written in the belief that school 1. An overview of school bus accidents and school
districts and school bus contractors should not rely on bus accident investigation;
other parties to investigate accidents. Because of the
high stakes involved in pupil transportation, including 2. The ability to evaluate their operation’s current
its unique exposure to litigation, the premise of this level of accident readiness;
manual is that every accident should be appropriately
and competently documented. 3. The ability to accurately document evidence at a
school bus accident scene; and
Although its main goal is to improve in-house accident
investigations, the material covered will also be useful 4. An understanding of how to follow up to a school
to individuals brought in to investigate a school bus bus accident.
accident from the outside, including expert investigators
or reconstructionists unfamiliar with the specifics of Within each of these basic objectives, which correspond
school bus operations. to the four chapters of this manual, there are many more
specific objectives. Specific objectives are identified at
the beginning of each chapter.
1b. How the manual is
organized 1d. Purposes of accident
The manual begins with an Introduction and Overview investigation
of school bus accidents and school bus accident
investigation (this chapter). The next three chapters of School bus accident investigators, novice or
the manual are titled and correspond to the three experienced, must periodically remind themselves of the
fundamental components of an accident management basic purposes of accident investigation. By definition,
system: accidents are sudden, unplanned, and unpleasant events.
While an accident typically lasts just a few seconds, the
Policy, preparation, and planning. (Chapter Two) physical, not to mention psychological, chain of events
immediately before, during, and after a crash is often
At the accident scene. (Chapter Three) highly complex.
1. Learning. Identifying the cause or causes (almost 2. Protection. In a litigious society, self-preservation
always the latter) of an accident may prevent future is not an ignoble motive. Thorough in-house
accidents. This is the most important reason to documentation of an accident can be helpful in
investigate accidents. court, or (more commonly) in avoiding an
unfounded or exaggerated out-of-court settlement.
Important safety lessons may be distilled either Premature settlements for dubious claims plague
from an investigation of a single accident or by the school bus industry. Settlements are
analyzing accident data in the aggregate. rationalized as “saving court costs,” but each
Sometimes a single incident can reveal a critical irrational settlement becomes a precedent that
training, equipment, or operational deficiency that encourages additional unscrupulous parties to sue.
needs to be addressed and corrected. But When faced with a claim (sometimes long after the
sometimes important safety problems are revealed accident occurred), a school or bus company that
only through a review of many accidents. has ready access to well-maintained and accurate
documentation of what actually happened - for
Accident databases can be established at many instance, photos, measurements, and field sketches
different levels. For instance, each pupil showing that the school bus was not out of its lane
transportation operation, whether it consists of 10, when the accident occurred - may convince the
100, or 1000 buses, should create and maintain its party threatening to sue to reconsider. Without
own accident database. This is a specific objective documentation, however, the school or bus
of this manual. A local database has two purposes. company is defenseless - no matter what actually
First, it will help identify and track problem drivers happened.
who need retraining or, possibly, another line of
work. Second, operation-wide training gaps or This is not to say that documentation will be
other types of safety deficiencies and shortcomings helpful to an operation in every instance. If a
may become apparent as patterns emerge over time. school bus driver truly and clearly made a serious
(The purpose and methodology of creating an mistake, resulting in an injury to a child, no amount
accident database is explained in Chapter 4, of in-house accident documentation will help; in
“Accident Follow-up”) fact it could hurt. In such a situation, accepting
- Another vehicle that passes the bus, or the bus Protection against exaggerated or baseless litigation
itself, strikes a child entering or leaving the bus. is one of the two main purposes of accident
investigation. Remembering this helps
- Another vehicle strikes the bus while it is stopped investigators understand the importance of
or preparing to stop to load or unload children, or carefully responding to and documenting bus stop
strikes another vehicle that was stopped for the bus, incidents in which the bus itself is not physically
or strikes a fixed object near the stopped or involved, even if no state report needs to be filed,
stopping bus. and neither the bus driver nor the operation could
have prevented the incident.
For reporting purposes, state guidelines vary (or in
some states don’t exist at all) as to exactly when it Of course, there are bus stop incidents where an
A motorist drives past a stopped school bus with its The accident probability
flashers activated and nearly strikes a child crossing pyramid
the street.
Bringing in a reconstructionist should be Personal vendetta. The opposite to the above can
considered in any serious accident investigation. In also occur. An investigator may feel tempted to
some accidents, typically fatalities, area law emphasize or distort a particular aspect of the
enforcement will often send in its own specially investigation to even an “old score” with a party
trained reconstruction team. In other cases, the involved in the accident.
operation’s insurance company may be able to Bribery. Interested parties to the accident may try
provide such a party. “Outside” reconstructionists to bribe an investigator to influence an
and accident reconstruction consulting firms can investigation. Bribes do not have to be monetary;
also be hired to assist in an investigation. hints of promotions or new job opportunities can
constitute the same thing.
7. Trend analysis. The final level of accident
investigation involves analyzing not one but
multiple accidents to identify significant trends 1j1. Personal standards for accident
such as accident patterns, training gaps, or vehicle investigators
or operational deficiencies. Trend analysis can
occur at the level of an individual operation - Accident investigators should aspire to possess the
analyzing all that operation’s accidents over time - following personal qualities:
or on a wider basis, such as an analysis of state or
national accidents, which is usually conducted by Objectivity. Above all else, investigators seek to
governmental agencies or safety organizations. learn the facts about what happened. Extraneous
factors such as the personalities of those involved
This manual stresses the importance of tracking and cannot influence an investigation in any way.
analyzing accidents over time to discern important
patterns. Thoroughness. Investigators should “turn over
every rock” as an investigation proceeds.
Insatiable curiosity is a helpful attribute in an
1j. Ethical guidelines for accident investigator.
Accident investigators are human beings, and feeling Caution. Investigators must be circumspect,
the pressures of an investigation is only normal. strictly avoiding “premature interpretation” of
Pressures faced by school bus accident investigators evidence or issuing opinions based on incomplete
could include: or unclear information. An investigator should
arrive at an accident scene with an absolutely open
Employer loyalty. Investigators may feel mind and no preconceptions about what happened,
pressured to de-emphasize or ignore findings that regardless of whether the bus driver involved
experienced previous safety problems.
5.
1k. Chapter One Review 6.
1. What is the main goal of this manual? (1a)
a. To convince and prepare Pupil Transportation 7.
Supervisors, Terminal Managers, and Safety
8.
Directors to establish a clear and consistent
accident management system in their own
operations. 7. Which of the following is not a good way to
b. To teach skills needed by accident increase the reporting of “near-hit” incidents? (1g)
reconstructionists. a. Confidentiality.
c. To teach accident scene measuring. b. Make it mandatory.
d. None of the above. c. Employee protections against retribution.
d. User-friendly reporting form.
2. What are the two main purposes of accident
investigation? (1d) 8. Identify three ways school bus accidents are unique
1. compared to other types of traffic accidents. (1h)
1.
2.
2.
3. Identify four common myths about school bus
accident investigation. (1e) 3.
1.
9. Identify seven levels of accident investigation. (1i)
2.
1.
3.
2.
4.
3.
4. Why should bus stop accidents be investigated like 4.
all other crashes? (1f)
5.
6.
7.
5. Why should student injuries arising from
non-collision events such as evasive maneuvers or
wheelchair spills be investigated? (1f)
2.
3.
4.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
STREET ADDRESS (NOT P.O. BOX NUMBER - UPS will not deliver)
315 475-1386
toll free—
CITY STATE / Province ZIP / Postal Code 1 800-836-2210
Fax: 315 475-5033
DAY PHONE FAX EMAIL
Email: info@ptsi.org
Web: www.ptsi.org
Federal Employer ID #
16-1454174
Product Ordered
QUANTITY ITEM NUMBER PRODUCT DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE EXTENDED PRICE
Your order is
shipped UPS
Ground.
RUSH Service is
available. Please
call for quote.
Satisfaction is our
guarantee — Please
call us if there is a
problem with your
order.
ORDER TOTAL
Thank you!
Thank you for your order