An Cosantóir

tac aide- traffic accidents | 27 DRIVER STANDING ORDERS PARA 44 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS I qualified to drive service vehicles and to carry out driving details on a daily basis, be it on exercise, general duties or on aid to the civil power (ATCP) operations such as cash-in-transit escorts, prisoner escorts, or EOD, etc. While road traffic accidents (RTAs) are not a regular oc- n this month's tac-aide we are going to look at Driver Standing Orders (DSO) Para 44, which deals with traf- fic accidents. A large percentage of our personnel are currence, they can and will happen. Hopefully, as a driver you will never be involved in an RTA but nevertheless you are obliged to know the following standing orders: a. Where any person is injured or any property is damaged and a service vehicle is involved in the occurrence of such injury or damage (whether the driver or management of such vehicle was or was not the cause of such injury or damage) the driver will halt and dismount. Where an of- ficer is present the driver will comply with his instructions. b. The driver will immediately obtain such particulars of the occurrence as will enable him to submit a report and sketch on AF 439 as laid down in sub-paras hereunder. c. Every accident will be reported to An Garda Síochána, as soon as possible after the occurrence, and a member of An Garda Síochána will be requested to visit the scene. d. When a member of An Garda Síochána is present all conversations or questions concerning the case will be ad- dressed to him and not to any other parties involved. e. Care will be taken by the driver of a service vehicle which is involved in any occurrence not to say, do or write anything in the presence of, or to persons other than his superior officer, that could be construed as an admission of liability on his part. Money will not be tendered or accepted. f. Where a person or persons are injured in an accident it is permissible to convey them to a hospital or to a doctor. g. Altercations with other persons regarding occurrences are strictly forbidden. h. On return to barracks and before going off duty the driv- er of a service vehicle involved in an occurrence will submit a written report, together with a sketch of the scene, to the NCO on duty. i. The report will contain the following information: (1) The time, date and place of the occurrence. (2) Names and addresses of: a. Owner of other property involved; b. Occupants of service vehicle; c. Occupants of other vehicle or vehicles; d. Injured parties; e. Independent witnesses; f. Doctor treating injured persons and at what hospital; g. Any other parties involved. (3) Registration numbers, make and type of all vehicles involved. (4) Particulars of the other party's insurance. (5) Any other relevant information. www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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