THE QUERY PROJECT - European Commission - Europa

accident analysis: see -> accident reconstruction
accident analyst: see -> accident reconstructionist
accident investigation: used here as a general term to include
all tasks carried out by experts in relation to road traffic accidents,
regardless of the nature of and the qualifications for such a task.
accident reconstruction: the forensic investigation into the
causes of road traffic accidents, accomplished through the use
of scientific methods for the purpose of drawing conclusions
from the evidence gathered at the scene of an accident. Most
frequently, these conclusions are made use of in the courts, be it
in a criminal investigation or in civil litigation.
accident reconstructionist: academically qualified person,
usually with a degree in an engineering discipline, with further
special training and working experience, who carries out ->
accident reconstruction. Also referred to as accident analyst – the
term reconstructionist was coined during the QUERY Project, and
should, once standardised European qualification and certification
methods are in place, be used to describe a person with ->
certification in their field of expertise.
accident research: the investigation into the unfolding of
an accident for research purposes, with a view to increasing
the general passive or active safety of vehicles. Such theoretical
research is mainly carried out in the development departments
of the automobile industry or at universities.
accident researcher: person who carries out -> accident
research
accident scene investigation: the investigation carried out
at the actual scene of an accident, i.e. the collection of evidence
and data at the scene, including measurements (e.g. deceleration),
preservation of ephemeral evidence, and interviewing of any persons
either involved in the accident or witnesses of same.
accident scene investigator: person with special training
to carry out -> accident scene investigation, generally a police
officer
accreditation: see -> ISO accreditation
bulletin board: see -> list of experts
Appendix IV
Glossary / Definition of terms
A P P E n D I C E S
certificate: in the English language system, a lower qualification
than a -> diploma, granted by academic institutions which
do not possess university status, such as -> Institutes of Technology
or -> technical colleges, after 2 years of study or less.
certification: a quality assurance method for experts. ~ ideally
should encompass minimum qualification criteria, an examination
of the candidate and of his/her moral integrity. It should be
granted for a limited amount of time, after which it would need
to be renewed. The authority which grants ~ should be a public
one on at least a national basis. At present, only about 50% of the
EU countries have some form of ~ available, and frequently this
is only a basic form of -> registration with an individual court or
the courts in general.
claims adjustor: see -> expert for repair cost estimation. Here,
the term independent ~ is used for independent experts, so as to
distinguish these from experts who are employed in the insurance
industry.
damage assessor: see -> expert for repair cost estimation. Here,
the term is used for experts employed in the insurance industry, so
as to distinguish these from independent experts in this field.
degree: academic qualification granted after a certain number
of years’ study and the presentation of a thesis. The English
language system distinguished between a Bachelor (4yrs) and a
Masters (a further 1 to 2yrs) degree. The German equivalent to the
Masters is the Diplom.
diploma: in the English language system, a lower academic
qualification than a -> degree, usually granted after 2 or 3 years
of study.
expert in vehicle examination: person who carries out the
technical monitoring of vehicles, such as annual vehicle checks
expert for repair cost estimation: person who carries out ->
repair cost estimation, usually a mechanic or similar with specialist
training in this field.
independent expert: an expert hired by the court to present
his independent findings in the case in question. Frequently
also called joint expert, as he/she jointly serves both disputing
parties.
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