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This paper presents a reconstruction technique in which nonlinear optimization is used in combination with an impact model to quickly and efficiently find a solution to a given set of parameters and conditions to reconstruct a collision. These parameters and conditions correspond to known or prescribed collision information (generally from the physical evidence) and can be incorporated into the optimized collision reconstruction technique in a variety of ways including as a prescribed value, through the use of a constraint, as part of a quality function, or possibly as a combination of these means. This reconstruction technique provides a proper, effective, and efficient means to incorporate data collected by Event Data Recorders (EDR) into a crash reconstruction. The technique is presented in this paper using the Planar Impact Mechanics (PIM) collision model in combination with the Solver utility in Microsoft Excel.

The algorithm used in the third version of the Calspan Reconstruction of Accident Speeds on the Highway (CRASH3) and planar impact mechanics are both used to calculate energy loss and velocity changes of vehicle collisions. They (intentionally) solve the vehicle collision problem using completely different approaches, however, they should produce comparable results. One of the differences is that CRASH3 uses a correction factor for estimating the collision energy loss due to tangential effects whereas planar impact mechanics uses a common velocity condition in the tangential direction. In this paper, a comparison is made between how CRASH3 computes the energy loss of a collision and how this same energy loss is determined by planar impact mechanics.

Residual damage caused during a collision has been related through the use of crush energy models and impact mechanics directly to the collision energy loss and vehicle velocity changes, ΔV1 and ΔV2. The simplest and most popular form of this crush energy relationship is a linear one and has been exploited for the purpose of accident reconstruction in the well known CRASH3 crush energy algorithm. Nonlinear forms of the relationship between residual crush and collision energy also have been developed. Speed reconstruction models that use the CRASH3 algorithm use point mass impact mechanics, a concept of equivalent mass, visual estimation of the Principle Direction of Force (PDOF) and a tangential correction factor to relate total crush energy to the collision ΔV values. Most algorithms also are based on an assumption of a common velocity at the contact area between the vehicles.

Various vehicle dynamic simulation software programs have been developed for use in reconstructing accidents. Typically these are used to analyze and reconstruct preimpact and postimpact vehicle motion. These simulation programs range from proprietary programs to commercially available packages. While the basic theory behind these simulations is Newton's laws of motion, some component modeling techniques differ from one program to another. This is particularly true of the modeling of tire force mechanics. Since tire forces control the vehicle motion predicted by a simulation, the tire mechanics model is a critical feature in simulation use, performance and accuracy. This is particularly true for accident reconstruction applications where vehicle motions can occur over wide ranging kinematic wheel conditions. Therefore a thorough understanding of the nature of tire forces is a necessary aspect of the proper formulation and use of a vehicle dynamics program.

This research investigates the uncertainty in the calculation of the change in velocity, ΔV, and the crush energy, EC, due to variations in the computed values of crush stiffness coefficients, A and B (d₀ and d₁), and due to variations in the measurements of the residual crush, Ci, i = 1,...6, using the CRASH3 damage algorithm. An understanding of the nature of such uncertainties is of particular importance as both the ΔV and EC are frequently used as inputs to reconstruction methods and become variations in the reconstruction process. These variations lead to uncertainties in the results of the reconstruction which are generally the preimpact speed of one or both of the vehicles involved in the collision. This paper consists of three parts. The first investigates the uncertainty associated with the calculation of the stiffness coefficients A and B (d₀ and d₁).

Automobile accident reconstruction and vehicle collision analysis techniques generally separate vehicle collisions into three different phases: pre-impact, impact and post-impact. This paper will concern itself exclusively with the modeling of the impact phase, typically defined as the time the vehicles are in contact. Historically, two different modeling techniques have been applied to the impact of vehicles. Both of these techniques employ the impulse-momentum formulation of Newton's Second Law. The first relies exclusively on this principle coupled with friction and restitution to completely model the impact. The second method combines impulse-momentum with a relationship between crush geometry and energy loss to model the impact. Both methods ultimately produce the change in velocity. ΔV, and other pertinent information about a collision.

A previous paper on this topic presented the use of design of experiments (DOE) to evaluate the sensitivity of vehicle dynamics simulation of the postimpact motion of a vehicle that included high initial rotational rates. That investigation involved only one software package and thus was confined to one simulation model for the purposes of developing and refining the analysis method rather than including a variety of simulation models for broader application. This paper expands the application of the method to investigate the comparative behavior and sensitivity of several other vehicle dynamic simulation models commonly used in the field of crash reconstruction. The software packages included in the studies presented in this paper are HVE (SIMON and EDSMAC4), PC-Crash and VCRware. This paper will present the results of the study, conducted using DOE, involving these models.

Little experimental data have been reported in the crash reconstruction literature regarding high-speed sideswipe collisions. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted a series of high-speed, small overlap, vehicle-to-barrier and vehicle-to-vehicle crash tests for which the majority resulted in sideswipe collisions. A sideswipe collision is defined in this paper as a crash with non-zero, final relative tangential velocity over the vehicle-to-barrier or vehicle-to-vehicle contact surface; that is, sliding continues throughout the contact duration. Using analysis of video from 50 IIHS small overlap crash tests, each test was modeled using planar impact mechanics to determine which were classified as sideswipes and which were not. The test data were further evaluated to understand the nature of high-speed, small overlap, sideswipe collisions and establish appropriate parameter ranges that can aid in the process of accident reconstruction.

Designed for the experienced practitioner, this new book aims to help reconstruction specialists with problems they may encounter in everyday analysis. The authors demonstrate how to take the physics behind accidents out of the idealized world and into practical situations. Real-world examples are used to illustrate the methods, clarify important concepts, and provide practical applications to those working in the field. Thoroughly revised, this new edition builds on the original exploration of accident analysis, reconstruction, and vehicle design. Enhanced with new material and improved chapters on key topics, an expanded glossary of automotive terms, and a bibliography at the end of the book providing further reading suggestions make this an essential resource reference for engineers involved in litigation, forensic investigation, automotive safety, and crash reconstruction.

Reconstruction of inline crashes between vehicles with a low closing speed, so-called “low speed” crashes, continues to be a class of vehicle collisions that reconstructionists require specific methods to handle. In general, these collisions tend to be difficult to reconstruct due primarily to the lack of, or limited amount of, physical evidence available after the crash. Traditional reconstruction methods such as impulse-momentum (non-residual damage based) and CRASH3 (residual damage based) both are formulated without considering tire forces of the vehicles. These forces can be important in this class of collisions. Additionally, the CRASH3 method depends on the use of stiffness coefficients for the vehicles obtained from high-speed crash tests. The question of the applicability of these (high-speed) stiffness coefficients to collisions producing significantly less deformation than experimental crashes on which they are generated, raises questions of the applicability.

This invaluable dictionary springs from the foundation laid by the glossary in Vehicle Accident Analysis and Reconstruction Methods, Third Edition created by the disbanded SAE Accident Investigation and Reconstruction Practices Committee (AIRP). Building on this content, this book encompasses a wide array of terms derived from both accident reconstruction and automotive safety. While biomechanics contributes numerous terms related to automotive safety concerning occupants, accident reconstruction primarily caters to vehicular elements. Unlike typical glossaries, this compendium doesn't just define; it references the sources related to the concept. Diving into SAE standards, recommended practices, and other renowned texts, this dictionary paints a complete picture. Even as the automotive landscape evolves, this work stands as an extensive reference for students and professionals alike.

In this third edition of Vehicle Accident Analysis & Reconstruction Methods, Raymond M. Brach and R. Matthew Brach have expanded and updated their essential work for professionals in the field of accident reconstruction. Most accidents can be reconstructed effectively using calculations and investigative and experimental data: the authors present the latest scientific, engineering, and mathematical reconstruction methods, providing a firm scientific foundation for practitioners. Accidents that cannot be reconstructed using the methods in this book are rare. In recent decades, the field of crash reconstruction has been transformed through the use of technology. The advent of event data records (EDRs) on vehicles signaled the era of modern crash reconstruction, which utilizes the same physical evidence that was previously available as well as electronic data that are measured/captured before, during, and after the collision.