交通事故型態傷與法醫鑑識應用

Forensic Application of Patterned Injuries in Traffic Accident Investigation

台灣十大死因中意外事故為非自然死亡之首位，其中又以交通事故死亡案件為意外死亡之首位。交通事故調查主要以環境因素、人為因素及交通工具的機械因素為分析事故原因為主。當事人是否負有不安全駕駛之責，包括涉及毒駕、藥駕、酒駕，甚至於病駕（帶病駕駛），以法醫檢驗調查結果協助釐清是否負有法律責任，及確認駕駛或乘客身分，結合事故現場勘察、肇事原因提供依據，提供司法審判的參考。由交通事故的型態傷（Patterned Injury）進行邏輯分析。存證的項目以為釐清責任、反應事實做出正確的判定，以為交通事故鑑定的基礎。法醫鑑定主要探討：（一）死因確認及可能自然疾病與交通事故的關係。（二）影響駕駛者判斷能力之因素。（三）事故發生的現場重現、確認駕駛者、研判失事原因及責任歸屬。（四）交通事故所衍生的安全預防性改善措施。以科學記錄轉換成統計數據，尋求交通事故的肇因。未來交通事故偵查，運用3D 蒐證攝影技術與車禍現場重建，結合型態傷，鑑識科學應用，尋找車禍危險因素、妥適利用生物動力學原理；設計防止車禍造成人體結構承受撞擊力之安全裝置，並以預防交通事故的發生為終極目標。 Traffic accident-related causalities are the top ten causes of death and the leading accidental death in Taiwan. Driving under the influence of alcohol (drunk driving), medicine, illicit psychoactive substance, illness has become the major issue of traffic incidences. Forensic investigation plays a crucial role to identify the cause of the accident. Based on the unique patterned injuries such as the seat position or vehicle collision pattern, the events can be reconstructed. Specifically, biomechanics provides an excellent tool to analyze the energy of vehicle’s speed, severity of collision (estimation of stopping distance as the negative impact force; including airbag and safety seatbelt), together with final impact force (body injuries). Biomedical engineering technology can also be applied for reconstructing the traffic accident in a virtual environment, and understanding the biomechanics of the vehicle collision can then be further modeled through the distinguished patterned injuries. The reconstructed information collectively assists in the identification of risk factors or the circumstances of the crash. Establishing government strategy to prevent recurring traffic accidents is the purposes of our goal. We found that the risk of head and neck spinal cord injury from motorcyclist can be reduced through a head and neck support device (HANS), tethering the helmet to the shoulder while keeping the head from whipping during the accident. We propose that common governmental policy that implements such technologies could reduce casualties in future traffic accidents.