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NEW DELHI: Police shouldn’t focus on investigating who caused a road crash, rather it must find out what caused the crash, a top collision investigation and road traffic enforcement specialist said who has worked long for the police in United Kingdom . Even legal experts said how police should investigate every fatal road crash as they probe a murder case.

While addressing policy makers and Indian police officers at a workshop on ‘Dangers in Road Usage’, Mike Fell from UK said the change in this approach by investigators will help find out who had bigger role in any road crash. Several global safety experts are attending the workshop organised by the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) to discuss all aspects of dangerous driving at a time when amended Motor Vehicle Act has brought more traffic offences in this category.

"In most fatal accidents the focus of investigation should be what caused the accident not who caused it to reduce road accident deaths. United Kingdom has been able to reduce accidents by 30% in last one decade despite 400% increase in number of vehicles. Both enforcement and improving road engineering worked", said Fell said. He added traffic safety and enforcement don’t get priority in India, which is the main reason why world’s largest accidents are taking place here.

Chief state attorney of Miami Florida, Stephen K Talpins traffic crashes are an intentional act and should be treated as murder. "Changing driving behaviour and better enforcement can bring the change," he added.

Speaking at the workshop, Jeffery Micheal , former associate highway transport safety administration in the US, also said all road crashes should be investigated on scientific parameters instead of making driver responsible for each crash.

"There is a need to clearly identifying ‘dangerous factors’ and defining them in relation to drivers, other road users, vehicles, road infrastructure and the existing legislation and codes of practice. Such clear explanations would help law enforcement agencies as well as the judiciary towards catalyzing the process of improving road safety in the country," said Rohit Baluja, president of IRTE.

