Crash Data Services, LLC
| Providing quality traffic accident investigation and reconstruction |
A head on traffic accident occurs when the
front of one vehicle collides with the front of
another. These types of accidents are
extremely dangerous because of the
cumulative speed affect of vehicles colliding
in opposite directions. Accident
reconstruction experts often refer to the
combined difference in speed as closing
speed or closing velocity.
For example, if two vehicles collide head on
with each traveling at 30 MPH, then the
closing speed between the two vehicles
would be equal to 60 MPH. If the same two
cars were to collide, with one of the one of the
vehicles stopped, then the striking vehicle
would need to be traveling 60 MPH to equal
the same closing speed.
Another reason why head on accidents are so
dangerous is because they often involve large
and abrupt changes in velocity. Expert
accident reconstructionists refer to a vehicle's
change in velocity as Delta-V. Sudden and
considerable changes in velocity have been
directly linked to injury causation.
The number one reason for a head-on
collision is improper lane use by one of the
drivers. In other words, one driver generally
crosses left of the lane divide into oncoming
traffic prior to the crash. Improper lane use is
often the product of inattentive or distracted
driving.
Our accident reconstruction experts can often
solve for the impact speeds of vehicles
involved in a head on crash through various
equations based on the conservation of
momentum and dissipation of energy.
In addition, by quantifying the Delta-V of one
vehicle, our experts can solve for the Delta-V
of the second vehicle involved in the accident.
front of one vehicle collides with the front of
another. These types of accidents are
extremely dangerous because of the
cumulative speed affect of vehicles colliding
in opposite directions. Accident
reconstruction experts often refer to the
combined difference in speed as closing
speed or closing velocity.
For example, if two vehicles collide head on
with each traveling at 30 MPH, then the
closing speed between the two vehicles
would be equal to 60 MPH. If the same two
cars were to collide, with one of the one of the
vehicles stopped, then the striking vehicle
would need to be traveling 60 MPH to equal
the same closing speed.
Another reason why head on accidents are so
dangerous is because they often involve large
and abrupt changes in velocity. Expert
accident reconstructionists refer to a vehicle's
change in velocity as Delta-V. Sudden and
considerable changes in velocity have been
directly linked to injury causation.
The number one reason for a head-on
collision is improper lane use by one of the
drivers. In other words, one driver generally
crosses left of the lane divide into oncoming
traffic prior to the crash. Improper lane use is
often the product of inattentive or distracted
driving.
Our accident reconstruction experts can often
solve for the impact speeds of vehicles
involved in a head on crash through various
equations based on the conservation of
momentum and dissipation of energy.
In addition, by quantifying the Delta-V of one
vehicle, our experts can solve for the Delta-V
of the second vehicle involved in the accident.
| Head-on collisions make up only 2% of US crashes, but account for over 10% of fatalities. - NHTSA |
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| Head-On Traffic Accident Reconstruction Expert |
| A vehicle's total Delta-V, or change in velocity due to a collision, is an indispensable resource for expert accident reconstructionists. Many vehicles have the ability to record longitudinal Delta-V if the vehicle is involved in a serious crash. The recording is usually stored in a component of the vehicle's airbag control module called an event data recorder or EDR. If the Principal Direction of Force, or PDOF exerted on a vehicle is known, and the longitudinal Delta-V is recorded during a crash, then the total Delta-V experienced by a vehicle during a collision can be derived. |
| When vehicles collide head on, the post impact motions of the vehicles are dictated by momentum. Momentum is a vector quantity, in that it has both a size and direction. An accident reconstruction expert can quantify momentum by multiplying a vehicle's weight by its speed. In the above illustration, if we assume that both vehicles weighed about the same, then we know that the orange car was traveling much faster at impact due to the post-impact trajectories of the vehicles. |
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