MEMORANDUM NO. 5-2 VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION

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1 FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MEMORANDUM NO. 5-2 SUBJECT: VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION Purpse: The purpse f this APM is t prvide a cnsistent methd f reprting vehicle accidents. This reprting will assist the City in investigating accidents and help t develp prgrams t reduce the frequency and severity f accidents. The peratin f vehicles is a vital part f the City s peratins. Withut vehicles, the City wuld nt be able t prvide services t its residents. At the same time, the City needs t cnsider ways t cntrl the csts f prviding its services. The City s vehicle accident reprting prcess is ne step in the prcess f cntrlling vehicle liability csts. During a recent five-year perid, claim dllars assciated with vehicle liability claims were 78 percent f all liability claims paid by the City ($3.3M vs. $928,000). Prcess: All accidents/incidents invlving City vehicles, n matter hw minr, must be reprted prmptly t the driver s immediate supervisr. The emplyee invlved in the accident, and his/her supervisr, shall cperate with and assist in the reprting and gathering f accident and injury data. The supervisr f the emplyee invlved in the accident shall respnd t the accident scene fr all accidents ccurring within the City f Madisn. Fr accidents ccurring utside the City f Madisn, supervisrs need t assess the significance f the accident and injuries t emplyees and then make a decisin n whether t prceed t an accident scene. Upn arriving at the accident scene, the supervisr shall assemble all facts, arrange fr pst accident alchl and/r drugs/cntrlled substance test when apprpriate, and review and sign the Vehicle Accident Reprt r Incident Reprt (see Prcedures belw t determine which reprt is apprpriate). The department/divisin head r designee shall review, sign and submit all cmpleted Vehicle Accident r Incident Reprts t the Risk Manager within 24 hurs r ne wrking day after the accident/incident, if pssible. They shall als determine any agency actin required. While this plicy applies t all City agencies, an exceptin is granted t the Madisn Plice Department and Metr Transit due t the higher reprting standards already in place in thse agencies. This exceptin is granted based n the current accident reprting prcedures in place within the Madisn Plice Department and Metr Transit and their willingness t review their reprting prcedures with the Risk Manager when changes are made r at the Risk Manager s request. Definitin: Vehicle A vehicle means a vehicle licensed fr rad use, including a persnal vehicle used n City business. A vehicle des nt include cntractrs equipment (laders, graders, bulldzers, skid steers, tractrs, mwers, etc.). Prcedures: A. Fr all vehicle accidents invlving a city vehicle and a nn-city vehicle; injury r death f any persn; damage t any vehicle invlved t the extent it cannt be driven under its wn pwer; damage t a traffic signal rendering it nn-peratinal; r damage t a nn-city building: 6/5/ dc

2 Page 2 Immediately reprt the accident t yur supervisr and the Plice. See Vehicle Accident packet in vehicle fr additinal infrmatin. Cperate with the Plice investigatin. Gather data regarding the circumstances f the accident and the names f injured parties r wners f damaged prperty. Wrk with yur supervisr t cmplete a City f Madisn Vehicle Accident/Incident Reprt fr submittal t department/divisin head immediately. Drivers that reprt directly t the Mayr shall ntify the Fleet Service Superintendent (r designee), the Risk Manager and the Mayr s Office. The Fleet Service Superintendent shall act as the driver s supervisr fr administratin f this plicy. See that all injured parties receive apprpriate medical attentin, if nt already taken care f. Call the Plice if the emplyee has nt already called them. Fr emplyees perating a CDL vehicle, arrange a pst accident alchl and/r drugs/cntrlled substance test where: the emplyee was perfrming a safety sensitive functin with respect t the vehicle and the accident invlved a lss f human life, serius injury, r majr prperty damage; r the emplyee receives a citatin under state r lcal law fr a mving traffic vilatin arising frm the accident; r ne r mre vehicles received disabling prperty damage and ne r mre was twed frm the scene. Cnsultatin with department/divisin head and Human Resurces is strngly encuraged prir t arranging a pst accident alchl and/r drugs/cntrlled substance test. Ntify the apprpriate agency (Fleet Service, Parking Utility, Engineering r Water Utility) t supervise the remval f the vehicle frm the accident site if nt already dne by thers, including the Plice.

3 Page 3 Interview the driver as sn as pssible after the accident. If the accident was a serius ne and the driver is injured, judgment shuld be used t determine when t cnduct the interview. When interviewing the driver, let the driver tell the stry as he/she wishes withut actual interrgatin, but a cmplete picture shuld be encuraged. When assembled, review all facts fr cmpleteness. Prepare a Vehicle Accident Reprt n the frm prvided by the Risk Manager and submit the reprt t department/divisin head r designee and Risk Manager. Review the Vehicle Accident Reprt and determine initial agency actin t be taken. infrmatin is available. B. Fr vehicle accidents invlving tw city vehicles n City Prperty (nt including City streets); NO bdily injuries; and bth vehicles can be driven away under their wn pwer: Immediately reprt the accident t yur supervisr. Gather data regarding the circumstances f the accident. Wrk with yur supervisr t cmplete a City f Madisn Vehicle Accident Reprt fr submittal t department/divisin head. Interview the drivers as sn as pssible after the accident. When interviewing the drivers, let the drivers tell the stry as they wish withut actual interrgatin, but a cmplete picture shuld be encuraged. When assembled, review all facts fr cmpleteness. Prepare a Vehicle Accident Reprt n the frm prvided by the Risk Manager and submit the reprt t department/divisin head r designee and Risk Manager.

4 Page 4 Review the Vehicle Accident Reprt and determine initial agency actin t be taken. infrmatin is available C. Fr vehicle accidents invlving a City vehicle and a fixed bject (fr example: tree, dumpster, light, garbage can, bench, City building) ther than a vehicle r items described in A. abve: Immediately reprt the accident t yur supervisr. Gather data regarding the circumstances f the accident and wners f damaged prperty. Wrk with yur supervisr t cmplete a City f Madisn Incident Reprt fr submittal t department/divisin head. See that all injured parties receive apprpriate medical attentin, if nt already taken care f. Interview the driver as sn as pssible after the accident. If the accident was a serius ne and the driver is injured, judgment shuld be used t determine when t cnduct the interview. When interviewing the driver, let the driver tell the stry as he/she wishes withut actual interrgatin, but a cmplete picture shuld be encuraged. When assembled, review all facts fr cmpleteness. Prepare a Incident Reprt n the frm prvided by the Risk Manager and submit the reprt t department/divisin head r designee and Risk Manager.

5 Page 5 Review the Incident Reprt and determine initial agency actin t be taken. infrmatin is available. Original APM dated 1/16/1996 (Revised 1/12/2009) David J. Cieslewicz Mayr APM N. 5-2 June 01, 2009