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Damage analysis methods in accident reconstruction use an estimate of vehicle stiffness together with measured crush to calculate crush energy, closing speed, and vehicle delta-V. Stiffness is generally derived from barrier crash test data. The accident being reconstructed often involves one or more conditions for which vehicle stiffness is not well defined by existing crash tests. Massive moving barrier (MMB) testing is introduced as a tool to obtain additional and accident specific stiffness coefficients applicable for reconstruction. The MMB impacts a stationary vehicle of similar structure as the accident vehicle under accident-specific conditions like impact location, angle, over-ride / under-ride, offset and damage energy. A rigid or deformable structure is mounted to the front of the MMB, representative of the impacting structure in the accident. Four illustrative tests are presented.

Snowmobile acceleration, braking and cornering performance data are not well developed for use in accident reconstruction. Linear acceleration and braking data published by D'Addario[1] gives results for testing on 4 snowmobiles of various make and model. This paper presents the results of on-snow tests performed in 2014 which include acceleration and cornering maneuvers that have not been published previously. Maximum and average cornering speeds and corresponding lateral accelerations are presented for turns of radius 20, 35 and 65 feet (6.1, 10.7 and 19.8 meters) on level, packed snow. Performance values for acceleration, braking, and cornering are determined in tests with and without a passenger. Results of linear acceleration and braking tests were found to be comparable to the previously published work. The data are useful in snowmobile accident reconstruction for certain types of snowmobile motion analyses.