Accident Scene Investigation

1) Mind’s Impact on Perception
2) Expectation Bias
3) Figure Ground Segmentation and Attention
4) Physiological
a) retina fatigue
b) rapid eye movement (saccadic)
5) Long Term Memory for Common Objects
a) gist of object
b) discrimination information
6) Illusions
a) depth processing
b) angular displacement
7) Contextual Interpretation
8) Distinguishing Features
a) camouflage
b) word superiority
9) Conclusion
a) sensation
b) perception
10) Recap
11) Quiz – Reinforcing Part 1 Materials
a) 5 multiple choice questions
b) 4 choices per question
c) A second quiz if less than 80% score on first quiz

1) Overview
2) Attention
a) definition
b) witnesses and sensory overload
c) mentally filling in blanks
3) Inattentional Blindness
a) example/study
b) definition
4) Perceptual Selection
a) definition
b) explanation
i) internal factors
ii) external factors
5) Perceptual Filtering
a) definition
b) examples
i) (ignoring other conversations to focus on one conversation
ii) CTA example
6) Gestault
a) definition
b) example
c) witnesses and Gestault
7) Closure Principle
8) Similarity Principle
a) defined
b) illustration
c) example – ethnic bias
9) Figure – Ground Principle
a) definition
b) illustration
10) Interpretation
a) defined
b) explained
c) impact of biases
11) Attribution
12) Recap
13) Quiz – Reinforcing Part 2 materials
a) 5 multiple choice questions
b) 4 choices per question
c) A second quiz if less than 80% score on first quiz

1) Problems with Eyewitnesses
a) sensation v. perception
b) reconstruction
c) cognitive dissonance
2) Evaluation of Eyewitnesses
a) is there bias creating false memory
b) ask similar questions to enable evaluation
c) is there too much detail
3) Evaluating Statements
a) distinguish actual seeing v. mental guessing
b) is memory consistent with likely attention
c) commonality of facts without collusion (intended or unintended)
d) Ach Conformity Experiment
e) Occam’s Razor
f) avoid fixation on unique details from a single witness
g) assess credibility of reported fact based on human capabilities
i) distance estimates
ii) speed estimates
iii) time estimates
4) Commandments for Witness Statements
a) timely interviews
b) isolate witnesses to avoid bias
c) avoid prompting that yields made up answers
d) take statements away from other witnesses
e) encourage reporting of details
f) use open ended question then close ended
g) encourage witnesses to avoid media and media reports
h) use witnesses words; avoid paraphrasing
i) “I don’t remember” is O.K.
j) evaluate credibility
5) Recap
6) Quiz – Reinforcing Part 3 materials
a) 5 multiple choice questions
b) 4 choices per question
c) A second quiz if less than 80% score on first quiz

1) Memory Summary
a) memory is not as reliable as most people believe
b) most people are unaware that their memories change
c) witnesses are limited to what they perceived
d) biases, function, and questions impact memory
e) Loftus Palmer Experiment
i) impact of question vocabulary on estimates
ii) impact of vocabulary on memory
f) Physical Evidence has advantages over eyewitnesses
2) Witness Statements as One Guide
3) Capturing the Facts
a) follow a structure
b) don’t follow a procedure of only investigating one hypothesis
c) collect information not impressions
4) Critical Issues in Fact Capturing
a) timeliness
b) broad observations
c) photo documentation
d) specific observations
5) Timeliness
a) less costly in long run
b) spoliation
c) improved accuracy
d) lost opportunities
6) Broad Observations
7) Photo Documentation
8) Recap
9) Quiz – Reinforcing Part 4 materials
a) 5 multiple choice questions
b) 4 choices per question
c) A second quiz if less than 80% score on first quiz

1) Accident Factors
a) human
b) machine/apparatus
c) environment
2) Incident Matrix Approach
a) accident factors
b) timing
i) prior/before to accident
ii) during accident
iii) post/after accident
c) enter information
d) evaluate
e) investigate anomalies further
f) update matrix
3) Case Study Initial Facts
a) hot day at meltshop
b) worker found dead in yard
c) body vivisected on rail tracks
4) Case Study Initial Findings
a) death
b) cause
i) pedestrian hit by automated train and
ii) vivisected by wheels
5) Additional Facts
a) video taken of yard, train and crane
b) aerial view of yard
c) photos
i) train, flatcar, bucket
ii) crane
d) cranes operator’s perspective video
e) facts
i) on his back
ii) clean shirt
6) Initial Theory
7) Complete the Matrix
8) Matrix Assessment/Evaluation
a) clean shirt problem
b) crane operator didn’t see pedestrian before the accident
9) Further Investigation
a) locomotive clearance
b) flatcar clearance
10) Update Matrix and Theory
11) Recap
12) Quiz – Reinforcing Part 5 materials
a) 5 multiple choice questions
b) 4 choices per question
c) A second quiz if less than 80% score on first quiz

1) Case Study 2 – Warning
a) scenario
i) facts
ii) map to incident matrix
iii) legal issues
b) factors impacting adherence to warnings
i) is hazard perceived
ii) familiarity with the hazard
iii) character traits of the user
iv) timing of warning
v) pictorials
c) purposes of warnings
i) provide information for which user is unaware
ii) identify non-obvious hazards
(1) inherent in intended use
(2) inherent in foreseeable misuse
iii) inform as to likelihood and severity of injury
iv) tell how to reduce likelihood and severity
v) define where danger is to be encountered
d) components of warnings
i) Signal Word (Danger)
ii) hazard statement
iii) consequences
iv) instructions about avoidance
v) not all elements needed
e) example warning signs
i) good warning
ii) poor warning
f) need for warnings
i) hazard exists
ii) hazard is dangerous
iii) hazard is known in the change of distribution
iv) hazard is not known or readily foreseeable to those exposed to it
v) hazard does not stem from an irrational act on part of the user
g) apply warning sign information to matrix
h) conclusions for Case Study 2
2) Course Conclusion/Wrap Up
a) approach
i) not singular
ii) multidirectional
iii) scientific method
(1) hypothesis
(2) test
(3) re-hypothesize
b) key interviewing elements
i) separate witnesses/personnel
ii) get the facts
iii) written or signed statements
iv) video or audio taped statements
c) determine sequence of events
d) frequently overlooked data
3) Recap
4) Quiz – Reinforcing Part 6 materials
a) 5 multiple choice questions
b) 4 choices per question
c) A second quiz if less than 80% score on first quiz