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For free initial advice please call us on
0800 05 999 35 or email at
enquiries@arcinvestigations.co.uk
Where Accident Investigation and Vehicle Technology Meet Innovation
Investigative Services
CCTV & Dash Cam Analysis
There are an increasing number of CCTV systems, local authority, domestic and commercially owned and operated, as well as dash mounted and on-board cameras in use throughout the country. Increasingly, collisions are captured on these CCTV systems. Our specially trained experts are able to review and expertly analyse all forms of CCTV and have developed robust protocols to accurately report upon the footage within their reports.
Whilst the camera may allegedly never lie, expert review of recorded sequences are required to consider its authenticity and integrity. The CCTV video recordings can be used to determine vehicle and pedestrian movement and speed. Recordings can also be used to determine the true lines of sight using camera matching processes which, when used in conjunction with data established via manual processes, such as at the time of the locus inspection, enables our experts to provide accurate expert analysis and opinion.
GPS Route Tracking
Our experts are able to interrogate navigation data from mobile devices such as personally worn activity trackers, mobile apps and of course in-vehicle navigation devices. Expert review of the data enables us to provide enhanced accuracy levels, unique to the device type and the time/date and location in which it was in. Typically, the analysis of the data can be used to determine more accurate vehicle/user speeds and the plotting of vehicle routes/journeys.
Tachograph & Fleet Telematic Data Analysis
We have specialists trained in the analysis of tachograph data recovered from the driver’s card or from a vehicle mounted tachograph device. Their skills enable the accurate interpretation of tachograph records, determining vehicle speeds, deceleration rates and driver compliance.
Increasingly, fleet operators fit their vehicles with on-board telematic devices, these devices enable the acquisition of vehicle speed, driver behaviour, acceleration data and increasingly route tracing and in-vehicle cameras; we have experts with experience in analysing these data formats and being able to extract data pertinent to the incident under investigation.
Human Factors & Behaviour
We are able to factorise causation of a collision, assessing the outcome in terms of expected human responses and reactions. In general, a driver will need to perceive and cognitively process a developing situation ahead before they can react. Perception and reaction are each complex scientific disciplines, made even more so by the dynamics of a collision event. Our experts draw on their knowledge and established research to determine what may be reasonable human responses and how swiftly this response could be executed.
Seat Belt Usage & Injury Causation
Seat belts have the potential to limit occupant injuries, however, it is not uncommon for the seat belt not to have been worn at impact. Our experts, during a vehicle inspection, can specifically limit the inspection to establishing seat belt usage. To do so they concentrate the inspection on physical inspection of all seat belt components and also record and evaluate damage within the vehicle cabin. The inspection findings can subsequently be compared to medical reports of injuries to confirm seat belt usage, or the likelihood that injuries could have been less significant if a seat belt was being worn.
Visibility
There are inherent areas around a vehicle that are not available to be seen by a driver which are commonly known as ‘blind spots’. Whilst an issue for all vehicles, it is of particular concern for drivers of large vehicles including vans and HGVs. Direct vision can be compromised by objects in or around the vehicle, seating position and vehicle structure. Mirrors and cameras are positioned around the vehicle to assist with in-direct vision, although their positions can influence the view available.
Our experts have developed a system to measure the visibility available to a driver in three dimensions and to incorporate this data into laser scans of the locus and align with CCTV recordings through camera matching. Our analysis identifies whether a vehicle, a vulnerable road user such as a pedestrian or cyclist etc. was available to be seen, for how long and the proportion of them that was or was not visible.