ANNEX 3 - CASUALTY VARIABLES

3.1 RECORD TYPE

CODES

31. New casualty record

35. Amended casualty record

NOTES

A. First box always coded 3 to enable casualty records to be easily identified during computer processing and analysis at local and national levels.

B. In second box, code 5 only to be used when a casualty record already sent to DfT/SE/NAfW is to be replaced by an amended record.

3.2 POLICE FORCE

NOTE

Repeat of Police Force code entered on the attendant circumstances record at item 1.2.

3.3 ACCIDENT REFERENCE

NOTE

Repeat of Accident Reference on the attendant circumstances record at item 1.3.

3.4 VEHICLE REFERENCE NUMBER

NOTES

A. Repeat of vehicle reference number on the associated vehicle record at item 2.4.

B. A casualty record for a vehicle occupant should quote the vehicle reference number of the vehicle which the casualty occupied.

C. A pedestrian casualty record should quote the vehicle reference number of the vehicle by which the pedestrian was first hit.

3.5 CASUALTY REFERENCE NUMBER

NOTES

A. The first casualty coded should be numbered 001 and the subsequent casualties should be numbered in sequence.

B. No two casualties in an accident should have the same vehicle and casualty reference numbers.

3.6 CASUALTY CLASS

CODES

NOTES

A. Code 1 includes a person riding a toy cycle, tricycle or pedal car on the carriageway, and the rider of a tandem bicycle who is controlling the machine. Code 1 also includes the riders of micro scooters with petrol engines or electric motors. A person who, having been in control of a vehicle, falls from it (or is injured in the course of dismounting from it), should be recorded as 'Driver or rider' of that vehicle.

B. Code 2 includes any occupant of a tandem bicycle who is not controlling the machine, and passengers on combination machines whether occupying sidecar or pillion. Persons riding on the roof, boot or bonnet of a vehicle and persons injured in the course of alighting or dismounting from a vehicle, should also be coded 2. Code 2 also includes a child who releases a vehicle's hand brake.

C. Code 3 includes:

i. person on a toy scooter, roller skates or skateboard;

ii. person riding a toy cycle, tricycle or pedal car on the footpath;

iii. person wheeling or holding a bicycle (whether on footpath or road);

iv. person pushing or pulling a vehicle or operating a pedestrian controlled vehicle;

v. person leading or herding animals;

vi. occupant of a pram or pushchair;

vii. a driver or passenger who has alighted safely from a vehicle and then sustains injury in an accident, whether injured by his own or some other vehicle;

viii. person other than a cyclist holding on to the back of a vehicle (eg. on roller skates);

ix. a person involved in an accident after safely alighting from a bus/coach and who is injured by some other vehicle (which would then be recorded as the vehicle involved).

x. a person injured away from the highway (eg. in house or garden) by a vehicle which has lost control on the highway.

D. A pedal cyclist riding across a pedestrian (or toucan) crossing should be coded 1.

E. If 3.6 is coded 3, then 3.10 (Pedestrian Location) must be coded 01 - 10, 3.11 (Pedestrian Movement) must be coded 1 - 9, and 3.12 (Pedestrian Direction) must be coded 0 - 9.

3.7 SEX OF CASUALTY

CODES

NOTE

If the casualty is a driver, then the sex entered here must be the same as that in item 2.21 (Sex of Driver) for the driver.

3.8 AGE OF CASUALTY

NOTES

A. Where an exact age at last birthday is not known, enter a reasonable estimate. If no estimate is made it will not be possible to classify the casualty as even child or adult. Thus every effort should be made to estimate an age.

B. Enter age in years, ignoring additional months (eg. an 11 month old baby is 00 years).

C. Unused spaces to the left of the age should be coded 0 (eg. for a child casualty aged 9 years, enter 09).

D. Leave blank if it is not possible to make a reasonable estimate. Do not enter 00 or 99 to indicate 'not known'.

E. A casualty aged 100+ should be coded 99.

F. If the casualty is a driver, then the age entered here must be the same as that in item 2.22 (Age of Driver) for the driver.

3.9 SEVERITY OF CASUALTY

CODES

NOTES

A. 'Fatal' injury includes only those cases where death occurs in less than 30 days as a result of the accident. 'Fatal' does not include death from natural causes or suicide (see Section 4.1 on Page 9).

B. Examples of 'Serious' injury are:

C. Examples of 'Slight' injury are:

D. The procedure for notifying changes in the severity of a casualty is described in STATS21.

3.10 PEDESTRIAN LOCATION

CODES

NOTES

A. If the casualty was not a pedestrian, leave these boxes blank.

B. Codes 02 and 03 are only applicable to zebra and pelican/puffin/toucan crossings.

C. A 'pedestrian crossing the road' is defined as one wholly or partly on the carriageway who has the intention to cross from one footway to another, or to a central reservation or refuge.

D. If there is conflict between codes 05 and 08, enter code 05.

E. If 3.10 is coded 01 or 04, then either 1.20a (Pedestrian Crossing - Human Control) must be coded 1 or 2, or 1.20b (Pedestrian Crossing - Physical Facilities) must be coded 1, 4, 5, 8 or 9. If 3.10 is coded 02 or 03 then 1.20b must be coded 1 or 4.

F. If 3.10 is left blank, then 3.6 (Casualty Class) must be coded 1 or 2.

G. Codes 1 - 9 should be prefixed with zero (eg. 'In carriageway, crossing elsewhere' code 05).

3.11 PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT

CODES

NOTES

A. If the casualty was not a pedestrian, leave this box blank.

B. In codes 1 - 4 'driver' means driver of vehicle which injured the pedestrian. Where a pedestrian was struck by more than one vehicle, this should be the driver of the first vehicle.

C. In codes 5 and 6, include person lying in the carriageway, (eg. drunk) and people who were not moving in any clearly defined manner immediately prior to the accident.

D. Where 3.10 (Pedestrian Location) is coded 06 'On footway or verge', or where the pedestrian is not in the carriageway, 3.11 should be coded 9 'Unknown or other'.

E. If 3.11 is left blank, then 3.6 (Casualty Class) must be coded 1 or 2.

F. If 3.11 is coded 1 - 4, then 3.10 (Pedestrian Location) should not be coded 06 or 09.

G. If 3.11 is coded 5 - 8, then 3.10 should not be coded 01 - 05.

3.12 PEDESTRIAN DIRECTION

COMPASS POINT BOUND

CODES

NOTES

A. If the casualty was not a pedestrian, leave this box blank.

B. The actual, or intended, direction of travel of the pedestrian should be coded using one of the above codes, or the nearest approximation, where the direction of travel did not fall exactly on one of the given directions.

C. A rough sketch plan of the accident scene is recommended, followed by checking on a suitable map to verify directions. Using the general direction of a road will not be appropriate in most cases.

D. Code 9 should be avoided if at all possible.

E. If 3.12 is left blank, then 3.6 (Casualty Class) must be coded 1 or 2.

3.13 SCHOOL PUPIL CASUALTY

CODES

NOTES

A. Include under Code 1 only school pupils up to and including 16 years of age. Enter code 0 in all other cases.

B. Pre-school playgroups should be classified as schools for this purpose.

C. Children up to 16 years of age, not on a journey to or from school should be coded 0.

D. 'Journey to from school' includes journeys to/from pre-school or after-school activities based at the school but excludes journeys made to/from school activities which are not based at the school itself.

E. Journeys between school and childcare organisation/childminder are included, but journeys between childcare and the pupil's home are not.

3.15 CAR PASSENGER

CODES

NOTES

A. This is intended to be used only in respect of car and taxi/private hire passenger casualties to show whether they were in a front or rear seat. The code to be entered is to be related to the seat which the casualty occupied immediately prior to the accident.

B. Car drivers should be coded 0.

C. Car, includes all vehicles within codes 08 and 09 of 2.5 (Type of Vehicle).

D. Casualties who were riding on the outside of the vehicle should be coded as front seat passengers.

E. Casualties in the middle row of family vans/multi-people carriers should be coded 2. This also applies to passengers in minibuses which are used as taxis or private hire vehicles.

F. If variable 2.5 (Type of Vehicle) is coded 08 or 09 and 3.6 (Casualty Class) is coded 2, then 3.15 must be coded 1 or 2.

3.16 BUS OR COACH PASSENGER

CODES

NOTES

A. Bus or Coach includes all vehicles within 2.5 (Type of Vehicle) codes 11 or 18 (i.e. buses, coaches, minibuses equipped to carry 17 or more seated passengers, and trams or light rail vehicles).

B. A person involved in an accident after safely alighting from a bus, coach or tram should be classed as a pedestrian (i.e. code 0), and the bus, coach or tram should only be recorded if it was subsequently involved in the accident.

C. A person who falls from a bus, coach or tram, or is boarding (code 1) or alighting (code 2) and is struck by another vehicle, should be recorded as a passenger, and the bus/coach/tram should then be recorded as a vehicle involved. Codes 1 and 2 should only be used to indicate that the casualty was actually engaged in boarding or alighting from a bus/coach/tram. They should not be used if the injured person was inside the vehicle passenger compartment either moving to alight or moving to a seat after boarding. Code 3 should be used in these circumstances (the injury will normally occur when the casualty is in the vicinity of the platform or doors).

D. Codes 3 and 4 are to be used for passengers of a bus/coach/tram, injured other than when the

were boarding or alighting.

3.17 DfT SPECIAL PROJECTS

NOTES

A. Use of this variable will be explained by DfT as and when mutually agreed.

B. When no special project is under way, the box should be left blank, since irrelevant entries are confusing when a DfT special project is in progress in selected areas.

3.18 CASUALTY HOME POSTCODE

CASUALTY HOME POSTCODE or one of the following CODES

NOTES

A. Complete as far as possible if full postcode not known.

B. Left justify first four boxes.

C. Special codes to be inserted in left hand box.

D. If postcode not immediately available, leave blank.

E. Students living away from home should give the postcode for their temporary address during term time and for their permanent address at all other times.

3.19 PEDESTRIAN INJURED IN THE COURSE OF 'ON THE ROAD' WORK

Work activity carried out on public road (eg. delivery services, road maintenance, traffic control)

CODES

NOTES

A. If the casualty was not a pedestrian, leave this box blank.

B. 'On the road' work relates to a work activity carried out on the public highway/road (eg. road maintenance, delivery/collection/inspection services, traffic control) and not trips made between different work locations in the course of work carried out other than on the road.

C. The definition of 'on the road' work thus relates to those work activities which are readily identifiable to the reporting police officer. Officers are not asked to code as 1 people making trips between different work places because such people may not be readily identifiable without questioning them.