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Modern Ford vehicles can be manufactured with a system known as Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). The Pre-Collision Assist feature uses camera technology to detect a potential collision with a vehicle or pedestrian directly ahead. If a potential collision is detected, an alert sound is emitted, and a warning message displays in the vehicle’s message center. If the driver response is not sufficient, AEB will be pre-charged and brake-assist sensitivity will be increased to provide full responsiveness if the driver does brake. If there is no perceived corrective action and a collision is imminent, the vehicle’s brakes can apply automatically. By detecting the possible collision and actuating the braking system, it is possible to prevent some collisions and lessen the severity of others. Testing of this system was conducted using a 2020 Ford Explorer. During several tests, the instrumented Ford was driven at a simulated target vehicle or pedestrian dummy.

Many modern automobiles’ infotainment/navigation systems store vehicle telematics and user-supplied infotainment data. This data is useful in a wide variety of analyses but is not available through traditional OEM tools. The necessity to access the infotainment module data for forensic analysis can be satisfied by utilizing the Berla iVe system. Similar to CDR/EDR technology, Berla iVe is a hardware and software tool that is used to acquire and analyze stored automotive data. However, CDR/EDR systems are generally developed in partnership with manufacturers or OEM suppliers. Berla iVe is a privately developed forensic system analogous to traditional forensic tools used to interrogate computer hard drives and smartphones. The technology is privately developed and tested. The data is then parsed using recognized forensics practices.

Many late-model BMW vehicles are equipped with an NBT Evo infotainment system. This system is seen in BMW vehicles in all global markets. Like infotainment systems from other manufacturers, this system records data elements that can prove to be key evidence to investigators of vehicular incidents. This system records timestamped tracklogs that consist of GPS coordinates paired with date/time data. These tracklog points, however, are not recorded in regular intervals. Testing of an instrumented BMW 430i was conducted in and around the Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds in the United Kingdom. The test vehicle was instrumented with a Racelogic Video VBOX Pro. Data from the instrumentation was compared to the data acquired from the BMW by the iVe Ecosystem from Berla Corporation. The accuracy of the GPS coordinates recorded in the BMW tracklogs was determined by computing the distance between the recorded BMW data and the reference instrumentation data.

Data acquired from vehicle infotainment systems has continued its growth as key evidence in vehicle-related investigations. The accident reconstruction community continues to actively pursue digital data from vehicles to be used alongside traditional forms of physical and electronic evidence. Some of the vehicle infotainment systems that have provided valuable evidence for several years are now being updated by their manufacturers. One such system is the Ford SYNC Generation 3 (SG3) system. In 2019, Ford began installing an updated version of this system that included changes to the SYNC module. The new system, referred to as SYNC Generation 3, version 2 (SG3v2) is outwardly identical to the original SG3 system until the module is physically removed from the vehicle. Ford has released the new module globally and it has been observed in North America, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several European countries.