What is one of the risks of having crowds at a collision scene?

Having crowds at a collision scene presents multiple challenges, and one significant risk is that valuable evidence may be destroyed. When a collision occurs, crucial evidence may consist of physical items such as debris, skid marks, or vehicle damage that can be vital for investigation. Crowds can interfere with these elements either by inadvertently disturbing them or by moving them before authorities arrive. For instance, if a crowd gathers around the scene, individuals may step on or move important evidence, thus compromising its integrity. This can impede the ability of investigators to accurately reconstruct the events leading to the collision, ultimately affecting the outcome of legal or insurance processes.

While witness statements and assistance in traffic management are important, and may occasionally be helpful in certain ways, they do not pose the same level of risk as the potential loss or alteration of physical evidence. Additionally, while crowds might provide some form of evidence if properly managed, their presence can also lead to chaos, further threatening the protection of the scene and the evidence it contains.