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This paper will give an overview of the information available from different types of vehicle data recorders, and ways the data can be used in the analysis of vehicle collisions. Reference will be made to current research relating to Event Data Recorders (EDR's). The methods used in downloading the data will be presented. Preservation of this evidence and admittance into court will be discussed. Traditional uses of this data in the determination of collision severity, seat belt use or non-use, and supplemental restraint system functionality will be discussed. Examples will be provided of additional, less traditional, uses involving the correlation of data recorded by EDR's during collision events with the results of reconstructions based on accident scene and vehicle crush data. Topics will include Delta-V, pre-crash vehicle motions and operation, driver perception/reaction times, driver actions, and vehicle acceleration/deceleration.

Computer simulation and animation are used to build upon traditional methodologies for the evaluation of rollover accidents. The use of computer simulation allows for a more complete and detailed reconstruction than is possible with traditional methods. The use of computer animation allows a superior presentation of the reconstruction with detailed analytical results and real time visualization employing 3-D computer graphics. The accident scene and vehicle damage data are used together with results from rollover tests and computer simulation and computer graphics to reconstruct the vehicle path and vehicle dynamics in three dimensions. The significant previous papers, which provide the scientific basis for rollover accident reconstruction, are discussed with regard as to how this knowledge can be applied using HVE1 and 3-D Studio MAX2.