Originally Posted by
CliffordK
It would be nice to have a full detailed police investigation file and accident reconstruction for each accident. Do you wish to get that much detail?
But, I believe there is some that can be learned from every accident. Yes, we probably get some details wrong. But, there are general things that are included. Place where it occurred, time of day, directions, etc. So, looking up information on the streets, light/dark/etc.
There has been debate about the term "accident" which conveys a lack of intent. What was traffic like? Speeds? Lights? Side reflectors/lighting? Was the guy crossing the road to the other side (perpendicular to traffic)? Etc? Whether or not those were all factors, they are important factors for us all to consider in hopes of modifying the variables that we can to make our cycling experience safer.
I think we're rerunning an argument we've had here before. We already know those are risk factors, how does knowing the details of any given incident tell me something about lighting, for example, that I don't already know? We're not the NTSB, we're not going to have the resources to do the kind of discussion that might actually uncover some sort of subtle point.