Title 32

SECTION 634.30

634.30 Use of traffic accident investigation report data.

§ 634.30 Use of traffic accident investigation report data.

(a) Data derived from traffic accident investigation reports and from vehicle owner accident reports will be analyzed to determine probable causes of accidents. When frequent accidents occur at a location, the conditions at the location and the types of accidents (collision diagram) will be examined.

(b) Law enforcement personnel and others who prepare traffic accident investigation reports will indicate whether or not seat restraint devices were being used at the time of the accident.

(c) When accidents warrant, an installation commander may establish a traffic accident review board. The board will consist of law enforcement, engineer, safety, medical, and legal personnel. The board will determine principal factors leading to the accident and recommend measures to reduce the number and severity of accidents on and off the installation. (The Air Force will use Traffic Safety Coordinating Groups. The Navy will use Traffic Safety Councils per OPNAVINST 5100.12 Series).

(d) Data will be shared with the installation legal, engineer, safety, and transportation officers. The data will be used to inform and educate drivers and to conduct traffic engineering studies.

(e) Army traffic accident investigation reports will be provided to Army Centralized Accident Investigation of Ground Accidents (CAIG) boards on request. The CAIG boards are under the control of the Commander, U.S. Army Safety Center, Fort Rucker, AL 36362-5363. These boards investigate Class A, on-duty, non-POV accidents and other selected accidents Army-wide (See AR 385-40). Local commanders provide additional board members as required to complete a timely and accurate investigation. Normally, additional board members are senior equipment operators, maintenance officer, and medical officers. However, specific qualifications of the additional board members may be dictated by the nature of the accident.

(f) The CAIG program is not intended to interfere with, impede, or delay law enforcement agencies in the execution of regulatory responsibilities that apply to the investigation of accidents for a determination of criminal intent or criminal acts. Criminal investigations have priority.

(g) Army law enforcement agencies will maintain close liaison and cooperation with CAIG boards. Such cooperation, particularly with respect to interviews of victims and witnesses and in collection and preservation of physical evidence, should support both the CAIG and law enforcement collateral investigations.