What Is a Near Miss in an Accident Investigation?
The phrase "near miss" is applied to situations when there is almost an accident. This refers to incidents such as a car stopping before hitting a child who ran out into the street after a ball, as well as to accidents that occurred with potential for loss of property or life.
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Accident Avoided
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In some driving situations, an accident could have occurred but the drivers involved managed to avoid any real collision. This is considered a "near miss" because there was accident potential. No collision, no loss of property and no loss of life are the criteria that make up this type of "near miss." Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may be conducted, such as if the accident was avoided but the driver was drunk.
Accident but No Loss
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Another type of "near miss" involves a slight collision, such as a side-swipe or a "fender-bender." This is considered a "near miss" because there was essentially potential for a bigger accident involving the loss of property or life. The insurance companies and the police will still do a basic accident investigation for records and possible insurance penalties.
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Other Types of "Near Miss" Incidents
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In work settings, there can also be a "near miss" accident when life or property may have been lost, yet fortunately both losses were avoided. This could be in cases such as a cable breaking at a construction site and a beam falling and just missing people standing or working below it, or just missing an expensive piece of equipment. In either case, property could have been lost or life could have been lost, but the beam simply fell and major loss was avoided.
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References
- Photo Credit driving on highway image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
