First Harmful Event:
The first event that results in any level of injury or damage. Location of the First Harmful Event is the location of the object being struck resulting in the first injury or damage. For example, if striking a concrete barrier is the First Harmful Event, then the location of the concrete barrier would be the location of the First Harmful Event. Fixed objects are not normally installed on road shoulders, so the location of First Harmful Event for a collision with a concrete barrier would not be the road shoulder.
Most Harmful Event:
Event that resulted in the most severe injury or, if no injury, the greatest property damage involving that motor vehicle. The Most Harmful Event must be in the sequence of events.
Manner of Collision:
The manner in which two motor vehicles in transport initially came together without regard to the direction of force. This element ONLY APPLIES to the First harmful event, and is only applicable if the First Harmful Event is a collision between two motor vehicles in transport (code “20”). If the First Harmful Event is a collision between a motor vehicle in transport and a parked motor vehicle (code “21”), the manner of collision would be “parked motor vehicle.” If the First Harmful Event is not a collision between two motor vehicles in transport, or a motor vehicle in transport and a parked motor vehicle, “Not Applicable” should be selected for Manner of Collision. In part, Manner of Collision addresses forces applied from two motor vehicles in a particular direction and the resulting extent of damage and injury.
Motor Vehicle in Transport:
A motor vehicle in transport refers to any motor vehicle in a travel lane regardless of movement, or in motion anywhere within the trafficway
Includes: Motor vehicle in traffic on a highway, driverless motor vehicle in motion, motionless motor vehicle abandoned on a roadway, disabled motor vehicle on a roadway, etc.
When used in the sequence of events, code “20” – “Collision with Other Motor Vehicle in Transport” refers to a collision between two motor vehicles that are either within a travel lane or in motion anywhere within the trafficway. Code “20” should never appear on a crash report that involves only one motor vehicle.
Vehicle Maneuver:
The controlled maneuver for a motor vehicle prior to the beginning of the sequence of events. All vehicle maneuvers require the vehicle to be in motion except for “Parked” and “Stopped in Traffic Lane.”
Turning left/right: Vehicles considered turning left or right must be both in motion and experiencing steering input. Approaching a left or right turn, or yielding to traffic prior to making a turn, do not constitute turning.
Leaving/entering travel lane: A vehicle moving to or from a location outside an established travel lane. Examples would include pulling to the shoulder of a road or entering a travel lane from a parking area.
Parked: Any stopped (not in motion) motor vehicle where the entirety of the vehicle’s primary outline as defined by the four sides of the vehicle and load, of any, is not within the roadway (i.e., travel lane).
Roadway Junction/Feature:
Identifies a roadway junction or feature within which the crash occurred or which is directly related to the crash. If a crash occurs within an intersection, that intersection type would be listed. If the events of the crash are directly related to a roadway junction or feature but the crash did not occur within such (e.g., rear end collision resulting from vehicles backed up at an intersection), the junction or feature most directly related to the crash would be listed.
Contributing Circumstance (roadway, driver, vehicle, visual):
Existing condition that may have contributed to the crash. Contributing circumstances must be directly related to the crash, not just present when the crash occurs (e.g., vehicle slides out of control as the driver attempts to change lanes on a snow covered road while snow is falling. This would be an example of a road contributing circumstance but not a visual contributor, even though it was snowing and the snow was visible).
Sequence of event:
The events listed in sequential order relating to each specific motor vehicles involvement in the crash, including both non-collision and collision events. If more than four events occurred then duplicate events and non-harmful events are removed first, in order to reduce the total number of entered events to four.
Non-damage or injury producing events
These events do not cause damage or injury. These events cannot be entered as the First Harmful Event or Most Harmful Event.
Damage or injury producing events
These events must cause damage or injury to be included in the sequence of events. These are the only events codes that can be used for the First Harmful Event and Most Harmful Event. Codes 40 through 69 are normally not the first event in the sequence of events, as these items are not installed in the roadway. As such the vehicle would have a first event of “01 – Ran Off Road Right,” for example, prior to hitting the concrete barrier or mailbox.