Traffic Crash Reconstruction

Traffic Crash Reconstruction is a product of numerous individuals experienced in accident reconstruction, and is geared toward data interpretation and directed toward engineers and people with technical backgrounds.

The manual relies heavily on mathematics to interpret how an accident occurred, as is consistent with the progression from data collection to reconstruction. Real world accident cases are used to illustrate each topic whenever possible.

Beginning with an overview of the process of traffic accident reconstruction, the manual discusses:

• causes and contributing factors in traffic accidents;

• mathematics and physics used in traffic accident reconstruction, basic motion equations;

• understanding vehicle behavior in collisions;

• drag factor and coefficient of friction;

• perception and reaction in traffic accidents;

• speed estimates for vehicles that fall, flip, or vault;

• momentum applications;

• work, energy, and speed from damage in traffic accidents; steering overcorrection in traffic accidents;

• reconstruction of motorcycle traffic accidents;

• understanding occupant behavior in vehicle collisions;

• vehicle-pedestrian accident reconstruction;

• reconstruction of heavy truck accidents; derivations of equations;

• and the use of computers in traffic accident reconstruction.