Forensic intelligence as a useful tool for reducing traffic fatalities: the Brazilian Federal District case

Abstract

Traffic accidents in Brazil kill more than 40,000 people a year and injure another 400,000, with largely permanent health impacts. This paper proposes the use of Forensic Intelligence, a field of Forensic Science that is able to convert forensic data into useful information, as a means to support policy measures and strategies, in order to prevent accidents. The selected study site was a small stretch on a Federal Highway (BR-040), where four fatal crashes occurred at the beginning of 2012. This highway had good mobility conditions and had no problems that could be correlated with these four fatal events, although speeding, alcohol abuse, and/or driver inattention were present in the crashes. We propose some possible interventions here, such as the use of advertising campaigns, strengthening traffic law enforcement, reduction of the speed limit, and the installation of electronic speed control devices in order to avoid future traffic accidents.