The Traffic and Accident Demonstrator
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3500800406 |
| Date | 01 October 1935 |
| Published date | 01 October 1935 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
The
Traffic
and
Accident
Demonstrator
"WELL,
Sir, from these models and things I find it so
difficult to understand where you really mean that
the cars and pedestrians were, that I am completely muddled."
Such a remark by a befogged witness has often been
made when confronted in Court by a collection of models, etc.,
from the positions of which on a table he was supposed to
reconstructthe details of some accident at which he was present.
It is very difficult in this way to produce a clear representation
of the road and surrounding buildings, for, in order to do so at
all satisfactorily, it would be necessary to have an enormous
number of model houses, shops, etc., of varying sizes.
Then
again, it is extremely difficult to show satisfactorily the exact
position of kerbstones, electric traffic lights, pedestrian
crossing places, etc., in such a way that the actual scene of
the accident is clearly recalled to the mind of the witness.
A large scale sketch -map may be used, and this is sometimes
satisfactory, as intelligent witnesses dealing with astraight-
forward case can visualize, from the sketch, the scene and
can probably give their evidence clearly, pointing out on the
sketch what the positions and movements of the various
vehicles, pedestrians, etc., were at the time of the accident.
However, in the majority of cases this method is very unsatis-
factory, chiefly because witnesses find it difficult to orientate
the sketch and visualize the ground, and also because only
a few people at a time can see where the witness is pointing
out the position of vehicles, etc., to have been. Another failing
of these sketches is that when a witness has shown, by marking
the sketch-map, where he considers vehicles to have been,
the marks have then to be laboriously rubbed out, so that
other witnesses shall not be biased by previous opinions.
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