Interview Guidelines
|
Navigation Links |
Purpose / Aim
The act of interviewing road users regarding a road traffic accident is an involved task due to the emotional signifigance, legal context and the practical conditions. There is therefore a requirement to adapt the interview method accordingly. The purpose of the Interview Guidelines section is to describe the difficulties likely to be encountered in the application of the semi-directive interview method as well as some of the techniques which are advisable to implement to mitigate these difficulties.
Methods
In-depth accident studies rely upon a detailed approach designed at gaining as much information about the event as possible (clinical type approach). The collection of data is inevitably interdisciplinary and thus a number of investigators are active concurrently. These investigators are specialist in (amoung others) the dynamics of vehicles, kinematics, mechanics, biomechanics, infrastructure and psychology.
The consideration of the "human factor" (road users) in its interaction with the other components of the Vehicle-Human-Environment system implies a psychological dimension. The ideal is to rely on the expertise of specialists in the study of human operator behaviour when engaged in the driving task (ergonomics, cognitive psychology) for the collection of human data and the analysis of their influence in the accident mechanisms. In any case, the interviewer having an understanding of the human processes at play in driving and in accidents is highly desirable.
The following sections summarise the difficulties likely to be met in the course of the interview in the particular context of the accident, and provides some techniques which can be implemented to mitigate these difficulties: which attitude to adopt with the interviewees, how to establish a good interview relationship, how to engage the person in the interview, which questioning techniques to use, which adaptive procedures are effective, how to manage interventions from other people (in the case where others are present e.g. at the accident scene).
The Interview Guideline Methodology also attempts to detail how to utilise information gained through exchanges with the investigator and the importance of relating with the people involved (i.e. rescue services, police, etc.).
1. Timing
In regards to the determining when to conduct the interview, the ideal situation would be to conduct the interview as soon as possible, in consideration of the availability of the people involved. This is done so that the interviewee delivers the most spontaneous information, before mental reconstruction or mediation takes place as a result of discussion with others.
An efficient way of proceeding relies upon a data collection procedure divided into two stages:
1. An initial interview: a relatively brief (considering the circumstances) on-scene interview at the accident scene (or in the emergency rooms of the hospital).
2. A follow-up interview: a complementary data collection interview within 48 hours of the accident. The investigators should direct their questions based on their initial understanding of the accident, resulting from the initial interview and an examination of the first data collected by the interdisciplinary team.
The collection of immediate recollections improves the chances of receiving genuine and more accurate statements from interviewees, without interference resulting from the interviewee talking with others about the accident or mental reconstruction self-reflection regarding the events. In the absence of these conditions, it is necessary to be aware of the biases which can affect the testimony.
2. Preparation
The interviewer has to approach the interviewees without any preconceptions to avoid the risk of biasing the interview by questioning directed subjectively. But not having preconceptions does not mean being ignorant of any available information. It is necessary to prepare for the interview by becoming familiar with the material circumstances of the accident.
It is useful to know beforehand: the number of vehicles involved, the overall configuration of the crash, available evidence, etc. In this respect, to have observed beforehand the site of the accident constitutes a main requirement for an effective interview and an understanding of the facts described by the road users. This preparation can develop from dialogue with other investigators involved in the case analysis. This preliminary information does not have to result in conclusions, but to assist investigators in determining appropriate questions to ask.
More generally speaking, investigators must have an understanding the different topics they are required to cover during the interview. The use of an interview guide is useful during the interview to verify the points which have not been developed yet. But this guide should not be followed too rigidly: a good interview occurs when the different questions come about naturally, as would happen in