|
|
A. Opening Statement
Important information is disseminated throughout the year to department personnel by the use of roll call training program. The Atlanta Police Department places the highest value upon the accuracy of written reports. The Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety has converted to an electronic reporting system and the efficiency of this system is strongly impacted by the accuracy of accident reports submitted from various departments.
B. Body
The Department of Motor Vehicle Safety (DMVS) has listed common error made by officers completing the DMVS 523 Accident Report form. Listed are some of the most common errors made by officers when filling out the accident reports.
1. “N/A” should never be written in any block. “Unknown” or “hit and run” should never be written in the injury section nor should a line be drawn through the injury section.
2. Pedestrian maneuver code should never be used unless it is a pedestrian.
A pedestrian is any person not in or upon a motor vehicle or other road vehicle. Persons boarding, alighting, jumping or falling from a motor or road vehicle are not pedestrians - they are listed as passengers.
3. When coding a pedestrian accident the following fields must be completed:
Name DOB Sex Alcohol test and typeDrug test and type Driver condition Direction of travel Vision obscured Pedestrian maneuver Traffic control Most harmful event - (should be 11only) Contributing factor – (should be 1 or 26 only) In the injury section for pedestrians only enter injury code and taken for treatment code
Pedestrians will be numbered as if they were vehicles on the accident form.
4. Vehicle maneuver codes will be used in the following manner:
Left turn - Code 1 Right turn - Code 2 Entering/exiting driveway - Code 12 Entering/exiting parking space - Code 11
5. Injury code 4 is considered an injury and should be counted in total number of injuries on front of the report.
6. First and most harmful event 11 should never be used when there is only one vehicle involved in an accident.
7. Bicycles and Railway trains should be coded and counted as a vehicle. Both will be coded as an 11.
8. Harmful event 12 refers to accidents occurring on interstate and divided highways. Never use 12 for and intersection accident.
9. Parked vehicle codes are for legally parked vehicles. When a moving vehicle strikes a legally parked vehicle, the moving vehicle is a 10 and the parked vehicle is an 11.
Always enter the person who parked the vehicle if known.
10. If a vehicle strikes a deer it should be marked 14(deer) not 9(animal). All accidents with deer and other animals MUST be put on the DMVS 523 form not incident report.
11. When road character is coded as 4, 5, or 6 and the vehicle is negotiating a curve the vehicle maneuver should be 10 not a 5.
For non-contact vehicle, 15 should be used for point of initial contact.
12. If a person jumps (not intending to kill him or herself) or falls from a moving vehicle or is pushed by a person (not intending to kill the person) this is considered a traffic accident and must be listed on the DMVS 523 form.
13. When entering the number of occupants on the back of the report it should ALWAYS match the actual number of occupants listed including the driver for each vehicle.
14. Anytime “other” is marked in any field, ALWAYS give a brief explanation in the remarks what “other” means.
C. Summary
Key points were given to ensure that the common errors made on accident reports would be eliminated. Should or if there are questions or concerns about the DMVS 523 form the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety office can be reached at 678-413-8647 or 678-413-8584 FAX.
|