SamplingPlan
Purpose/Aim
The purpose of the Sampling Plan is to create a method of investigation that will be broadly representative for coverage of various accidents types occurring across participating states, within the practical limitations imposed by the pilot study. For future investigations, beyond DaCoTA, the purpose of the Sampling Plan is to make on-scene investigations that closely represent all types of traffic accidents occurring on the public roads of Europe, adequately covering all hours of the day, all days of the week and all levels of injury severity.
Methods
DaCoTA Pilot Study Methods
All teams
The DaCoTA Pilot Study investigation teams should produce at least five cases, covering a range of different types of crashes (e.g. different crash configurations, vehicle types, road users and levels of injury severity).
At least one case should involve a moving motor vehicle or pedal cyclist on a public road. Accidents selected may include fatal, seriously injured, slightly injured or non-injured road users. At least 3 out of 5 cases must include a road user who was taken to hospital immediately after the accident.
Accidents selected may include trucks, buses, cars, powered two wheelers, pedal cycles, pedestrians or other types of road users. The sampling area should have a clear geographical boundary in which the team has a high probability of obtaining all necessary information.
The resulting sample can be compared with police recorded accident data across Europe (CARE database), especially by use of the accident-type and other variables to be recorded in the same way for both DaCoTA and CARE (as CADAS Glossary v3.11).
On-scene Teams
The geographical boundary of the sampling area must give a high probability that the team will arrive on the scene in time to capture all essential information, especially to capture information that is quickly lost (as a guide, teams should arrive no more than 30 minutes after the time when the collision occurred where possible).
If more than one accident occurs at the same time, the team must investigate the accident which they received the notification from first.
A case cannot be included unless there is at least one vehicle or at least one road user or witness still at the scene when the team arrives. However, in some exceptional situations, a case may be included without any vehicles or road users present on-scene if there are other sources of reliable information allowing adequate conclusions to be drawn about the circumstances and causes of the accident.
Beyond DaCoTA Methods
All teams are to go on-scene as described above. In addition, the sample will closely represent all types of traffic accidents occurring on the public roads, adequately covering all hours of the day, all days of the week and all levels of injury severity.
Equipment
All teams
Please refer to the Accident Notifications section of the main Equipment List for the Sampling Plan equipment list.
Arrangements
All teams
Investigation teams should examine local accident statistics before the study commences to identify a suitable sample region with accident types broadly matching accidents occurring over the whole country and provide these findings in a report together with a description of the sampling procedure to be used.
Furthermore, investigation teams should establish a fast and reliable system that will notify the team when accidents occur (please refer to the Accident Notifications section).