Traffic Crash

Vocabulary

Emergency Response Guidebook

A resource that identifies hazardous materials, outlines basic actions for first responders, recommends areas of protective action, and gives responders an initial safety plan.

Fatal injury

An injury resulting in an individual’s death within a 30-day period after the traffic crash accident.

Area of collision

The location of the first harmful event, or the first damage-producing event in a traffic crash.

Non traffic violation

A criminal offense discovered during the investigation of a traffic crash.

Evasive action

Any action a driver takes to alter the speed or direction of a vehicle to avoid danger or hazard, such as applying the brakes, turning the steering wheel, or moving the vehicle out of the way.

First harmful event

The first event during a traffic crash that caused injury or property damage; determines the jurisdiction, time, place, and type of crash.

Possible injury

Any injury reported or claimed that is not a fatal injury, suspected serious injury, or suspected minor injury. Examples include momentary loss of consciousness, claim of injury, limping, or complaint of pain or nausea. A possible injury is reported by the individual or is indicated by their behavior, but no wound or injury is readily evident.

Traffic crash

A collision involving one or more vehicles causing property damage, personal injury, serious bodily injury, or death.

Field sketch

A rough drawing of the scene using simple symbols to indicate the details of the crash.

Non incapacitating injury

A non-disabling injury, such as a laceration, scrape, or bruise.

Hazardous material

A substance or material that when released may cause harm, serious injury, or death to humans and animals, or harm the environment.

Reaction time

The length of time between the point of perception and the beginning of the evasive action.

Non traffic fatal injury

A fatality that is unrelated to the traffic crash accident, such as a heart attack, natural causes, suicide, or homicide.

Final rest

The point when all movement resulting from a traffic crash comes to a halt.

Furrow mark

A type of trench dug by locked tires moving across a soft surface such as gravel, sand, grass, or dirt; it is shallow at the beginning of the skid and deepens with a piling of the surface material in front of the tire at the place where the vehicle finally rests.

Surface mark

Any mark created by a vehicle’s tire at a crash scene.

Serious bodily injury

An injury to a person, including the driver, which consists of a physical condition that creates a substantial risk of death, serious personal disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ.

Debris

The loose material spread across the road due to a traffic crash.

Anti lock braking system scuff marks

Patterns left by a vehicle with anti-lock brakes when a driver brakes hard.

Incapacitating injury

A serious bodily injury other than fatal resulting in one or more of the following: severe laceration resulting in exposure of underlying tissues/muscles/organs or significant loss of blood; broken or distorted extremity (arm or leg); crush injuries; suspected skull, chest, or abdominal injury other than bruises or minor lacerations; significant burns (second- and third-degree burns over 10% or more of the body); unconsciousness when taken from the crash scene; paralysis.

Non contributing traffic violation

A violation that has no direct bearing on the cause of the traffic crash, but is discovered during the investigation.

Contributing traffic violation

A direct cause or contribution to the traffic crash itself, such as a vehicle running a red light and striking another vehicle.

Pre existing damage

Any damage existing on a vehicle before a crash.

Gouge

A cut into the surface of the road where some part of the vehicle removed the surface material.

Crash privilege

The legal right of a driver to provide information during a civil investigation of a traffic crash that prohibits that information from becoming self-incriminating if the civil investigation becomes a criminal investigation.