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Traffic & Crash Investigation

AIS and Traffic Duties at Crash Scenes

The Police function at crash scenes include:

• Clearance of other traffic;
• Protecting people injured;
• Assisting other emergency services e.g. ambulance personnel, in the treatment and extrication of patients; and
• Investigation of the crash to determine what occurred and whether there is anyone at fault.

In serious and fatal crashes, the role of determining what occurred and whether blame lay with any person has been vested in the Accident Investigation Squad (AIS). The AIS has a role to determine whether there has been:

• Any breach of the Criminal Code, for example manslaughter, death by dangerous driving or dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm;
• Any breach of the Traffic Act 1925 and/or the Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999;
• Licence or registration offences, or other general offences in regard to driving of a motor vehicle; or
• Offences in regard to the Road Safety (Alcohol & Drugs) Act 1970, e.g. persons driving in excess of the prescribed amount of alcohol or drugs in their body.

There is also a role under the Coroner's Act 1995 in that, where a violent death occurs, the Coroner has a responsibility to investigate that death to determine how, why, when and where that person came by their death, as well as determining who the person was. Investigation of the crash and presenting evidence to the coroner rests with the police.  In some circumstances, the investigation will be undertaken by the AIS.

The AIS role includes determining who the drivers of all vehicles were in the incident, and determining their sobriety and other factors that may affect their driving, to determine the approach direction of vehicles to the crash scene, to determine the point of impact, and to determine the final resting position of vehicles, and from some or all of the above determine the speeds of the vehicles prior to the impact.

Road Safety

For information on Road Safety issues, visit the Road Safety Task Force Web Site.