Importance of Trace Evidence Study in Determining Road Traffic Accident Circumstances in order to Prevent Insurance Fraud

The authors, on the basis of analysis of growing motorization, particularly at the regional level (using the example of Penza region of the Russian Federation) confirm the urgency of the tasks of preserving life and health of road users, note changes in frequency of accidents of various origin, the positive role of insurance instruments in dealing with the consequences of road traffic accidents.
At the same time, fraud in the field of compulsory motor third party liability insurance (MTPL) is one of the most important and urgent issues for insurance companies. One of the most common schemes of fictitious accidents is an attempt to get repair or replacement of existing damage at the expense of the insurer. In this regard, the use of transport trace evidence examinations has become widespread.
It is this type of transport expertise that reliably and accurately determines conformity of damage to vehicles to the mechanism and circumstances of a road traffic accident. Trace evidence analysis is always assigned when it comes to currently notorious «staged crash». It is impossible to understand the nature of accidents associated with lane change by vehicles moving along the way without study of trace materials. Particularly many problems arise in a situation where both participants in the accident claim that they were moving without changing the direction of movement, and that was the opponent who made a maneuver of lane change not complying with the requirement of the road traffic rules of the Russian Federation on priorities in traffic movement.
As an example, the article presents an expert study of a road traffic accident that raised doubts about reliability of circumstances set out by policyholders.

1. Indicators of the state of road safety [Pokazateli sostoyaniya bezopasnosti dorozhnogo dvizheniya]. [Electronic resource]: http://stat.gibdd.ru/ Last accessed 15.03.2019.

2. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of October 3, 2013 No. 864 «On the federal target program «Improving road traffic safety in 2013–2020» [Postanovlenie Pravitelstva Rossiiskoi Federatsii ot 3 oktyabry 2013 No. 864 «O federalnoi tselevoi programme «Pоvyshenie bezopasnosti dorozhnogo dvizheniya v 2013–2020 godakh»].

3. Federal Law of April 25, 2002 No. 40-FZ (as amended on December 18, 2017) «On mandatory insurance of civil liability of vehicle owners» [Federalniy zakon ot 25.04.2002 No. 40-FZ (red. ot 18.12.2018) «Ob obyazatelnom strakhovanii grazhdanskoi otvetstvennosti vladeltsev transportnykh sredstv»].

4. Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated January 8, 2018 No. 1-r on «Road safety strategy in the Russian Federation for 2018–2024» [Rasporyazhenie Pravitelstva Rossiiskoi Federatsii ot 8 yanvarya 2018 No. 1-r Moskva «Stretagiya bezopasnosti dorozhnogo dvizheniya v Rossiiskoi FEderatsii na 2018–2024 gody»].

5. Dummy road accidents for insurance company: staging and punishment [Podstavnie DTP dlya strakhovoi: instsenirovka i nakazanie]. [Electronic resource]: http://zakon-auto.ru/dtp/podstavnye-dlya-strahovoj.php. Last accessed 15.03.2019.

6. Indicators of the state of road safety [Pokazateli sostoyaniya bezopasnosti dorozhnogo dvizheniya]. [Electronic resource]: http://stat.gibdd.ru/ Last accessed 15.03.2019.

7. Criminal Code of the Russian Federation No. 63-FZ of June 13, 1996 (as amended on December 27, 2017) (as amended and added, entered into force on January 8, 2019) [Ugolovniy kodeks Rossiiskoi Federatsii ot 13.06.1996 No. 63-FZ (red. ot 27.12.2018) (s izm. i dop., vstup. v silu s 08.01.2019)].

8. Federal Law of April 25, 2002 No. 40-FZ (as amended on December 18, 2017) «On mandatory insurance of civil liability of vehicle owners» [Federalniy zakon ot 25.04.2002 No. 40-FZ (red. ot 18.12.2018) «Ob obyazatelnom strakhovanii grazhdanskoi otvetstvennosti vladeltsev transportnykh sredstv»].

9. Transport trace evidence examination in cases of road accidents (diagnostic studies) [Transportnotrasologicheskaya ekspertiza po delam o dorozhnotransportnykh proisshestviyakh (diagnosticheskie issledovaniya)]. VNIISE, 1998, Iss. 1, 100 p.

10. Dummy road accidents for insurance company: staging and punishment [Podstavnie DTP dlya strakhovoi: instsenirovka i nakazanie]. [Electronic resource]: http://zakon-auto.ru/dtp/podstavnye-dlya-strahovoj.php. Last accessed 15.03.2019.

11. Transport trace evidence examination in cases of road accidents (diagnostic studies) [Transportnotrasologicheskaya ekspertiza po delam o dorozhnotransportnykh proisshestviyakh (diagnosticheskie issledovaniya)]. VNIISE, 1988, Iss. 2, 120 p.

12. Criminal Code of the Russian Federation No. 63-FZ of June 13, 1996 (as amended on December 27, 2017) (as amended and added, entered into force on January 8, 2019) [Ugolovniy kodeks Rossiiskoi Federatsii ot 13.06.1996 No. 63-FZ (red. ot 27.12.2018) (s izm. i dop., vstup. v silu s 08.01.2019)].

13. Byatt, R., Watts, R. Investigation of road accidents [Russian title: Rassledovanie dorozhno-transportnykh proisshestvii]. Moscow, Transport publ., 1978, 288 p.

14. Transport trace evidence examination in cases of road accidents (diagnostic studies) [Transportnotrasologicheskaya ekspertiza po delam o dorozhnotransportnykh proisshestviyakh (diagnosticheskie issledovaniya)]. VNIISE, 1998, Iss. 1, 100 p.

15. Fleury, D., Brenac, T. Accident prototypical scenarios, a tool for road safety research and diagnostic studies. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 33 (2), Elsevier, 2001, pp. 267–276.

16. Transport trace evidence examination in cases of road accidents (diagnostic studies) [Transportnotrasologicheskaya ekspertiza po delam o dorozhnotransportnykh proisshestviyakh (diagnosticheskie issledovaniya)]. VNIISE, 1988, Iss. 2, 120 p.

17. Abdel-Aty, M. A., Radwan, A. E. Modeling traffic accident occurrence and involvement. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32 (5), Elsevier, 2000, pp. 633–642.

18. Byatt, R., Watts, R. Investigation of road accidents [Russian title: Rassledovanie dorozhno-transportnykh proisshestvii]. Moscow, Transport publ., 1978, 288 p.

19. The methodological guide for experts, investigators and judges «Transport-trace evidence examination in cases of road accidents» (diagnostic studies). Part 1, 2 [Metodicheskoe posobie dlya ekspertov, sledovatelei i sudei «Transportno-trasologicheskaya ekspertiza po delam o

20. Fleury, D., Brenac, T. Accident prototypical scenarios, a tool for road safety research and diagnostic studies. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 33 (2), Elsevier, 2001, pp. 267–276.

21. dorozhno-transportnykh proisshestviyakh» (diagnosticheskie issledovaniya). Chast’ 1,2]. Moscow, IC IPK RFCSE publ., 2006.

22. Abdel-Aty, M. A., Radwan, A. E. Modeling traffic accident occurrence and involvement. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32 (5), Elsevier, 2000, pp. 633–642.

23. Survey information. Issue 5. «Classification of types of collisions and determination of the place of collision of vehicles by experts» [Obzornaya informatsiya. Vyp. 5. «Klassifikatsiya vidov stolknoveniya i ekspertnoe opredelenie mesta stolknoveniya transportnykh sredstv»]. Moscow, 1981, 53 p.

24. The methodological guide for experts, investigators and judges «Transport-trace evidence examination in cases of road accidents» (diagnostic studies). Part 1, 2 [Metodicheskoe posobie dlya ekspertov, sledovatelei i sudei «Transportno-trasologicheskaya ekspertiza po delam o

25. dorozhno-transportnykh proisshestviyakh» (diagnosticheskie issledovaniya). Chast’ 1,2]. Moscow, IC IPK RFCSE publ., 2006.

26. Survey information. Issue 5. «Classification of types of collisions and determination of the place of collision of vehicles by experts» [Obzornaya informatsiya. Vyp. 5. «Klassifikatsiya vidov stolknoveniya i ekspertnoe opredelenie mesta stolknoveniya transportnykh sredstv»]. Moscow, 1981, 53 p.