State Association Stages Truck Accident Gather Data

Illinois& major interstates and highways are known for heavy truck traffic. The state is no stranger to devastating truck accidents. That is why one state association is teaming up with other professionals to analyze crash information in an attempt to make road travel safer and improve the crash investigation process.

The Illinois Association of Technical Accident Investigators (IATAI) intentionally crashed a car into a semi truck last week. A number of different professionals make up the IATAI, including law enforcement officers, trucking companies, insurance providers and consultants.

The crash test was part of a state-wide conference taking place throughout the week. The hope is that, through test crashes, the organization can collect data and apply it to real-life incidents.

Professionals can then take this information, use it during accident investigations or as a reference, while testifying in court. IATAI takes pictures and notes that others can study and learn about things like tire reactions and speeds leading up to a crash.

Staged crashes, like this, are not something the police officers and investigators get to examine often. The stage also affords professionals more time to get into detail, which may not be possible in real life scenarios when time is of the essence and debris needs to be removed from the road quickly.

As professionals get more adept and gain experience in analyzing crash scenes, it means improved results for crash victims and their families. It is important to be able to pinpoint quickly and accurately the cause of the crash, and whether or not negligent driving was a factor. This determination can allow a victim to recover damages from a negligent driver with the help of a Chicago truck accident attorney.

Source: WMBD WYZZ TV, "State Agencies Train With Car vs. Semi Accident," Sept. 18, 2013