Salary
£20,000 Starter - £40,000 Experienced
Hours
38 to 40 variable (on call on shifts)
Where to start
You can get into this job through
a university courseworking towards this roleapplying directlyspecialist courses run by professional bodies
University
You could get into this job by taking a course through a professional body like AiTS. Courses include:
- University Certificate of Professional Development (UCPD) Forensic Road Collision Investigation
- Foundation Degree in Forensic Road Collision Investigation
The certificate is the starting point if you want to become a forensic road collision investigator and have no experience of investigating road collisions. You would then move on to the foundation degree.
After the foundation degree, you can 'top up' to the BSc (Hons) Professional Studies in Forensic Road Collision Investigation.
Qualifications are offered on a part-time basis through a mix of online and classroom learning.
You'll usually need 2 or 3 A-Levels, including maths or science, or the UCPD in Forensic Road Collision Investigation, for the foundation degree.
Work
You could join the police service as an officer or part of the civilian support staff and work in a road policing department, while doing qualifications on the job in traffic collision investigation.
Direct Application
You may be able to apply for an investigator job if you have qualifications and several years' experience in engineering, technical testing or health and safety.
Other Routes
You could take a private training course in road traffic investigation. It's important to check that the course you do is approved by a recognised awarding body or institution.
Professional and industry bodies
You could join The Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators, for professional recognition and training opportunities.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of public safety and security
- customer service skills
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to use your initiative
- analytical thinking skills
- knowledge of psychology
- knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you could:
- examine vehicles and vehicle parts
- create plans of the scene and make time and distance studies
- work out vehicle speed through the amount of crush damage
- check tachograph information on vehicles
- get technical information from vehicle manufacturers
- produce reports
act as an expert witness
Working environment
You could work on the road or in an office.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move into management or work on a freelance or consultancy basis.