Forensic collision investigation: finding the order within the chaos

This narrative explores three key areas, Professionalising the Collision Investigation Community, The Wider Demographic and The Expert Witness. It covers a 15-year career of the work of a Forensic Collision Investigator responsible for the investigation of road traffic collisions resulting in catastrophic injuries or fatalities.

Included in the thesis is the development of a series of scientific techniques that have been adopted around the globe. Works within the professional body are also discussed, including the introduction and development of a number of professional elements, such as the introduction of the Certificate of Professional Competence (an assessment of Practitioner’s fitness to practice), the Code of Ethics, Equality and Diversity, training programmes and the production of a Best Practice guidance document and development of the Disciplinary Codes.

Also presented are works including the education of the wider demographic, from members of the public to legal professionals by various means, such as authoring a brand-new chapter in the subject in a long-standing forensic textbook for the Royal Society of Chemistry, to producing webinar series for LexisNexis.

Finally, the work as an Expert Witness, not only in the UK but internationally, is described and the act of giving expert evidence and its significance are all combined in this thesis for the Doctorate by Public Works.