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| In September 2008, the Illinois Association of Technical Accident Investigators (IATAI) also sponsored a series of crash tests aimed at validating various crash reconstruction methods such as crush energy. Crush energy is aimed at deriving the impact speeds of one or more vehicles based on a measured amount of crush (damage) on a vehicle. The GMC truck pictured to the left was dropped from a crane, causing significant crush. |
| During the September 2008 testing, a wide variety of vehicles were sampled, including the previously mentioned Corvette and a Ford E350 Van. Regardless of vehicle or tire type, skidding tires performed approximately the same. ABS braking, however, was dramatically different. ABS performance was heavily reliant upon what system the vehicle was equipped with. The video to the left depicts one of the skid tests performed as part of the validation testing. This test involved a 2008 Ford E350. |
| Many vehicles are equipped with rollover sensors (ROS), capable of recording vertical, lateral and roll rate crash pulses should the vehicle be involved in a rollover collision. ROS sensors are one type of airbag control module that records data within its event data recorder (EDR). Crash Data Services, LLC employs certified analysts capable of interpreting vehicle crash data. Our experts can use EDR data to validate traditional accident reconstruction methods. The GMC truck pictured to the left was dropped from a crane to simulate a serious side impact. |
| In September of 2008, reconstructionists from the Illinois Association of Technical Accident Investigators (IATAI) teamed with adjunct instructors from the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) to test the performance of various types of tires and anti-lock braking systems (ABS). ABS braking, under most circumstances, is significantly better than sliding or skidding to a stop. The video to the left depicts one of the skid tests performed as part of the validation testing. This test involved a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. |
| In order to correctly apply accident reconstruction techniques, investigators must first test theories under controlled circumstances. This process is called validation testing. Validation testing is useful because it demonstrates that accident reconstruction techniques work not only in theory but, when tested empirically, can also be applied to real world traffic accident investigation. |
| The critical speed of a yaw (CSY) equation is often employed by accident reconstructionists when attempting to determine the speed of a vehicle. Yaw marks are a type of tire mark that are often left at the scene of a high speed accident, wherein a vehicle lost control and ultimately left the roadway. In the video to the left, the 2008 Ford Crown Victoria was purposely sent into a yaw at about 42 MPH. When proper measuring protocol of the subsequent yaw marks was followed, the mathematically derived speed was nearly identical to the measured speed via VC4000 accelerometer GPS. |
| In addition to the application of theoretical accident reconstruction, many experts have spent a significant amount of time validating event data recorders (EDRs). EDRs are part of a vehicle's airbag control module (ACM), powertrain control module (PCM) or rollover sensor (ROS). In the video to the left, the 2008 Ford Crown Victoria was braked to a stop at a number of speeds and a download of the EDR data contained within the vehicle's PCM was performed. The EDR reported speed of the vehicle was nearly identical to the measured speed via the VC4000 accelerometer and GPS. |
| Traffic accident reconstruction begins with understanding the dynamic interaction between vehicles when they collide. Generally, accidents happen very quickly. In the staged collision to the left, the crash pulse lasted less than 1/10 th of a second. High-speed video allows expert accident reconstructionists to illustrate the relatively short, yet potentially destructive, period when vehicles interact. In September of 2009, the Illinois Association of Technical Accident Investigators (IATAI) sponsored a crash test aimed at validating impact speed calculations. Experts used high-speed video to capture and document the collision. |