Welcome to the Caribbean Traffic Crash Investigation Symposium
Join us for a leading conference bringing together professionals across the region to address critical issues in transport. This event will feature sessions led by experts on innovative solutions, research, and discussions on pressing challenges in transport systems and mobility.
About TAMPER Consulting
Established in April 2024, TAMPER Consulting focuses on mobility and safety issues in transportation; developing solutions and delivering specialised training in traffic safety, driver behaviour, and traffic crash investigation and reconstruction in the Caribbean Region. TAMPER Consulting is equipped with the requisite technical competencies to address a wide range of needs that encompass policy, planning, implementation, and operational issues, offering services and support to government, industry, and academia.
Our schedule of workshops and other events covers a range of relevant and pertinent topics within the transportation space, with a focus on safety issues, tailored and customised for clients in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
The conference and symposium are hosted by TAMPER Consulting, which is based in Kingston, Jamaica, and has a core mission to make a positive contribution to traffic and transport safety and operations in the Caribbean and the wider region of the Americas. We believe that it is important to bring the many voices together in an environment where the various perspectives can be shared and appreciated, and the knowledge used to build a better way forward.
Introduction
TAMPER Consulting will be executing the inaugural Caribbean Traffic Crash Investigation Symposium during the period February 17-18, 2025 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. This Symposium will empower participants in the area of leveraging technology in the investigation, analysis and reconstruction of traffic crashes, thus building capacity in the Caribbean Region.
It is the intention of TAMPER Consulting to play a critical role in ensuring that the Caribbean Region is fully equipped with the best cadre of traffic crash investigators, analysts and reconstructionists. When practitioners are armed with the requisite skills and knowledge, traffic crashes will be properly investigated, analysed and reconstructed in the Region, thus ensuring that justice is served for all stakeholders.
It will be a scintillating two days! Without doubt, all participants will find themselves empowered and motivated to tackle the tasks ahead with enthusiasm, building on an expanded knowledge base.
Background
In light of the fact that over 1.25 million people are dying on the global road network annually, and over 50 million people are injured, there is a global need for persons to be equipped with the requisite skills to analyse, investigate and reconstruct traffic crashes. These crashes are occurring with various dynamics involved, so persons must be equipped to address them.
Traffic crashes unleash profound trauma, scars, wounds, hurts and forces on the human body, thus there is a need for specialists in occupant kinematics and biomechanics to address personal bodily injuries expected from a collision by leveraging the awesome power of the event data recorders (black boxes).
The improved capacity of investigators will provide crash victims and their families with a route to guaranteed justice, in accordance with the postulates evinced in the United Nations Road Safety Resolutions.
There are collisions that transpired whereby there exists no physical evidence, and investigators therefore need to be fully aware of the role of human factors in traffic crash investigation, analysis and reconstruction, as not all traffic collisions will leave skidmarks or any form of marks on the road network. In these cases, whilst it would be great if the motor vehicle was equipped with an event data recorder, the vehicle may never have one available for analysis.
There needs to be a complete overhaul in how traffic crashes are investigated, as there are three fundamental components that must be thoroughly assessed before making any conclusions. These are the Human component, the Environmental component (Roadway, Climate), and the Vehicle component.
Too often, the focus is placed on the human component although, in many instances, the environment and the vehicles involved in the collision played a significant role in the circumstances of the crashes. There has been a strong bias to focus on the human behaviour while totally disregarding any effect that environmental and vehicle factors could have played in the calamity occurring.
The wealth of information that will be provided in this Caribbean Traffic Crash Investigation Symposium will empower participants to make better decisions pertaining to settling conflict and addressing matters pertaining to traffic crashes. Too often, persons are mistakenly considering traffic crash data collection and reporting to be traffic crash investigation.
Scope
Strong emphasis will be placed on displaying the power of the event data recorders (black boxes) in the traffic crash investigation process. Participants will become fully aware of the awesome power of these devices in the traffic crash investigation process, and also appreciate the fact that technologies exist that can be leveraged to add value to the execution of justice, in accordance with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety: Pillar 5 - Activity 5.
Attendees, especially those in the judiciary and the insurance industry, will enhance their knowledge of how they can mitigate insurance fraud, which is very prevalent across the nations of the world. This Symposium will update participants on the various types of insurance fraud and the techniques that are being used by fraudsters, thus investigators will be able to know what to do to combat the related challenges.
With pedestrians being among the most killed road user in the global traffic environment, participants will appreciate some of the fundamental principles and technologies to be used when investigating and analysing traffic collisions involving this most vulnerable road user.
This Symposium will also address matters pertaining to collisions involving two vehicles, where one vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder while the other is not. Participants will be able to recognize that the analysis of such collisions is indeed possible, once the appropriate technique, which this Symposium will expose participants to, is deployed.
Undoubtedly, attending this Symposium will be of great value to those involved in traffic safety, road and vehicular safety, insurance claims administration, and adjudication of civil and criminal matters pertaining to traffic crashes. They will increase their capacity to make better decisions, because this Symposium will close quite a number of gaps in the understanding of the traffic environment.
Target Audience
As the information that will be disseminated at this Symposium will widen the knowledge base, improve skills, and overall, collectively empower the industry, the following persons are encouraged to attend:
- Lawyers
- Insurance Claims Administrators
- Police Officers
- Fleet and Transport Managers and Officials
- Loss Adjusters
- Engineers
- Private Accident Investigators
- Science Teachers
- Science Students
It is recognised that gaps exist in the traffic crash investigation, analysis, prevention, and reconstruction process which need to be closed, in order to ensure that all the stakeholders are empowered and thereby better able to address the issues surrounding the occurrence of traffic crashes.
Agenda
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17
- 8:30-9:30 a.m. Registration
- 9:35-9:45 a.m. Welcome
- 9:45-10:45 a.m. Opening Remarks
- 10:45-11:00 a.m. Break
- 11:00-1:00 p.m. Issues To Resolve When Investigating Traffic Collision
- 1:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch
- 2:00-3:00 p.m. Demystifying Human Factors
- 3:00-4:00 p.m. Event Data Recorder (Black Box) Analysis
- 4:00-5:00 p.m. Importance of Sun Analysis
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18
- 9:15-10:45 a.m. Detecting and Nabbing Insurance Fraudsters
- 10:45-11:00 a.m. Break
- 11:00-1:00 p.m. Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Investigation
- 1:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch
- 2:00-4:00 p.m. Analysing a crash with one EDR
- 4:00-5:00 p.m. Closing Ceremony
TAMPER Consulting will host a cocktail reception on the evening of Tuesday, February 18, at the end of the Symposium, and in advance of the opening of the Regional Transport Research Conference on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
Venue
The Jamaica Pegasus is centrally located in New Kingston at 81 Knutsford Boulevard, opposite Emancipation Park. For the greatest convenience of access to the symposium sessions, participants may choose to book rooms at this location. Other nearby options in New Kingston and the surrounding area, including hotels, guest houses, and AirBnBs, are available. Participants are encouraged to explore accommodation options before making bookings.
The list of hotels below, located in the vicinity of New Kingston, is provided for convenience only. Participants should review and consider the available options and make their own hotel arrangements:
- Marriott Courtyard Kingston, 1 Park Close, Kingston 5
- Courtleigh Hotel & Suites, 85 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5
- Altamont Court Hotel, 1-5 Altamont Crescent, Kingston 5
- S Hotel Kingston, 1 St. Lucia Avenue, Kingston 5
- AC Hotel, 38-42 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 5
- R Hotel, 2 Renfrew Road, Kingston 5
- Terra Nova All Suite Hotel, 17 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10
Panel Discussions
1. Regulation & Enforcement
Users of transport systems are expected to abide by certain rules for effective operations, with diverse approaches taken to get compliance.
- Police
- Courts/Judiciary
- Regulatory Authority
- Insurance Industry
2. Spaces for Transport
The built environment influences transport operations that take place in various spaces.
- Municipal Management
- Roadway Design & Construction
- Urban Planning
- Intermodal Facilities
3. Society and the Environment
The social and environmental footprint of transport can create controversial situations that are often overlooked.
- Consumer Advocacy
- Disabilities Association
- Public perception and social stigma
- Transport externalities on communities
4. Research, Analysis, and Investigation
A comprehensive understanding of transport issues can reduce instances of conflict in systems and operations.
- Data Quality Issues and Access to Information
- Best Practice Methodologies
- Building Knowledge and Capacity
- Incorporating Technology
5. Travel, Tourism, and the Visitor Experience
Travel cannot take place without use of the transport system, but meeting the needs of related industries can be a source of conflict.
- Tour Operators
- Hotel Industry
- Tourist Board
- Rental Car Companies
6. Cross-Cutting Issues
Transport impacts on, and is impacted by various sectors in a co-dependent relationship, and priorities are not always aligned to the same goal.
- Energy
- Health
- Education
- Employment
Presentation Tracks
1. Road Safety
Crash prevention, collision history analysis, public education, safe systems approach, administrative arrangements.
2. Traffic Management (Operation, Regulation, Enforcement)
User needs, policy imperatives, behaviour and compliance, system design, engineering studies, planning surveys.
3. Public/Shared Transport (Bus/Taxi)
Ridership/coverage tradeoff, optimum vehicle type, public/private competition, commuter motivation, commuter facilities, service characteristics.
4. Infrastructure (Planning, Design, Construction)
Resource allocation, stakeholder involvement, user needs assessment, community impacts.
5. Active Transport (Walking, Cycling)
Barriers, demand analysis, infrastructure design, regulatory framework, user priority, climate considerations, incentives.
6. Economic Aspects
Affordability, cost/benefit analysis, measures of effectiveness, external dependence, political priorities.
Abstract Submission
All abstracts are expected to be received by the end of November, and the programme finalised by mid-December. Abstracts for presentations and posters can be submitted using the portal on the TAMPER Consulting website (www.tamperconsulting.com) or using the Abstract Submission form below.
Queries about submissions should be sent to tamper@tamperconsulting.com, with the subject line being “Abstract Submission” followed by the author/presenter’s name.
