Traffic engineers should have enough knowledge of crash investigation and reconstruction to assess the quality of data collection and analysis contained in police crash reports. In addition, many times it is necessary for the traffic engineer to conduct an independent investigation to determine how the crash occurred and to assess the potential involvement of the roadway design and traffic operational factors in crash causation. This ability is an important ingredient in identifying and correcting hazardous roadway features. It is also a critical step in evaluating the potential liability of a highway agency.
