James W Brooking    Accident & Automotive

Background After a motor vehicle apprenticeship which covered motor vehicles and construction plant James Brooking continued his career by joining a national transport company working as a commercial vehicle technician and vehicle inspector. With promotion he moved to another branch as workshop foreman controlling a large workshop which was also a main dealership. His next position was with the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (now TRL) supervising a vehicle workshop, parts department and the driving pool. In 1977 James Brooking started work with Mercedes Benz (UK) Limited. His responsibilities were after sales service activities for large areas of England. In that role he was responsible for maintaining standards in the dealer workshops, training, product faults and warranty. Being a member of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers he has played an active part in centre activities being at various times Chairman and Treasurer of the Thames Valley Centre. In 1990 James Brooking accepted a position with a company of consulting engineers as principal consultant. As well as conducting investigations relating to motor vehicles and plant he proceeded to train and develop skills in Traffic Accident Investigation. As well as being accepted as a Member of the Academy of Experts and the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators he studied and was awarded a Masters Degree in Accident Investigation Studies from Middlesex University after a workbased learning course. Investigations have been carried out into traffic accidents including cases in France and the Isle of Man. Evidence has been given in many courts both criminal and civil.  Several papers were written during this period covering assessment of fire damaged vehicles, trading standards vehicle servicing surveys and a paper on motorcycle accidents caused by mechanical failure was presented at the biennial ITAI conference. In addition a test day on the TRL test track was organised and funded to further research into Cycle to Car impacts. The results were later published in the journal of the Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors. In 2000 James Brooking started his own consultancy continuing to provide expert evidence to the legal profession on automotive subjects and vehicle incidents. Evidence has been given in all courts and at an inquest involving a fatality in a warehouse. In 2005 lectured at East Berkshire College on motor vehicle technology and qualified as a Driving Standards Agency Approved Driving Instructor to further understanding of new drivers. He continues to teach driving on a limited basis to maintain the qualification.  In 2007 he was asked to examine vehicles in Nigeria for an international organisation. At the ITAI-EVU Conference September 2009 presented a paper titled " Clarification of a Night-Time Pedestrian Accident by CCTV Video taken from a Passing Bus" SUMMARY   Accident Investigation James Brooking has investigated traffic incidents for both civil and criminal courts. Desk top analysis and extraction of evidence from CCTV. Evidence given in courts for civil and criminal proceedings Scene Investigation Attendance at incident scenes, video drive through, photographs, Vehicle Examination Examination for civil and criminal cases. Long term tests for intermittant faults. Evidence given in Civil & Criminal Courts Driving Instruction (Crowthorne Sandhurst & Bracknell areas) Click on Contact Information.   Thumbnail shows motorcycle that impacted a pickup truck