05/23/2013


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...Traffic Crash Inv Unit
 YOU ARE HERE : HOME /  ...Traffic Crash Inv Unit 
In 2009, the Watertown Police Department responded to 855 traffic crashes.  Generally, crashes that occur within the city limits require the patrol division officers to conduct an investigation and draft a report.  Crashes which result in serious injury or death, are investigated by the Watertown Police Department's Traffic Crash Investigation Unit. The Traffic Crash Unit consists of four members which include a Traffic Accident Reconstructionist and three advanced Accident Investigators. The team conducts monthly training sessions to remain proficient in acquired skills.
    The Traffic Crash Investigation Unit has developed a Traffic Crash Reduction Program. The program involves reviewing traffic accident reports to identify locations of crashes within the community. In addition, circumstances relating to the cause of the crashes are gathered. The Watertown Police Department uses the compiled information to determine what type of enforcement action or recommendations should be deployed to reduce future crashes, as well as risk of injury.
 

Team Equipment and Hardware

     The Leica TCR407 Total station is equipped with lighted and infrared laser range and distance detection hardware capable of mapping up to a mile with accuracy down to a 1/4 of an inch.  This state-of-the-art equipment cuts the time to measure an accident scene to 30 minutes in comparison to 2 hours measuring the scene manually with a tape measure and it requires a mere 2 people compared to 3 or 4 using the tape measure method.  The Leica total station can also be used to map out crime scenes indoors or outdoors and measure the location of different evidence and location related data.

     The Micro Survey Tracker is the latest innovation in data-collection units.  The Tracker is used to record the measurements taken by the Leica total station.  The data is then downloaded to a computer, where it shows a detailed “map” of the scene that was downloaded.

     The HP Designjet 500 Color printer is an industrial sized printer capable of printing an image up to 4 feet wide and 12 or more feet long in full color with life like detail.

     The Crash Data Retrieval system or CDR. The Vertronix CDR system consists of hardware and software that downloads pre-crash data from the vehicles air bag module to a laptop computer. The downloaded information is then used to assist the accident team in reconstructing the crash.

     The Vericom VC2000 accelerometer, or brake test computer.  The two most common uses of the VC2000 are to determine the coefficient of friction of the road surface and analyzing the vehicles braking ability.  The VC2000 also will measure lateral “G” force and has several applications in the acceleration mode.

     Mapscenes Pro 2008 software is a computer program that is used to read the downloaded image from the Tracker data collector.  The software translates the image into a picture that can be printed to scale and used in the reconstruction of a traffic crash..  The software also has the capability of putting the image in 3D form and can be made to animate and demonstrate how the crash occurred.  The Mapscenes software can also be used to view images collected from crime scenes to map evidence for court purposes.

     The AR Pro software is a computer program that has the ability to perform complicated mathematical equations related to crash investigation and reconstruction.  The software gives the crash team the ability to double-check their data and print out a detailed mathematical report that can be used to show how any given result is achieved for reconstruction and court purposes.