Vehicle Crash Reconstruction: Principles and Technology

Crash reconstruction is a scientific process that utilizes principles of physics and empirical data to analyze the physical, electronic, video, audio, and testimonial evidence from a crash to determine how and why the crash occurred. This course will introduce this reconstruction process as it gets applied to various crash types - in-line and intersection collisions, pedestrian collisions, motorcycle crashes, rollover crashes, and heavy truck crashes. Methods of evidence documentation will be covered. Analysis methods will also be presented for electronic data from event data recorders and for video. Finally, the course will cover photogrammetry, simulation, and uncertainty analysis. Each topic will be covered to a level of detail that will be useful for practicing accident reconstructionists and that will prepare the students to dive into each topic in more detail either through their own research or through SAE's other course offerings. Participants of this course will receive a copy of the book Vehicle Accident Analysis and Reconstruction Methods by Raymond and Matthew Brach, and Motorcycle Accident Reconstruction by Nathan Rose.

The course has been approved by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) for 20 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Upon completion of this course, accredited reconstructionists should mail a copy of their course certificate of achievement and the $5 participant CEU fee to ACTAR, PO Box 1493, North Platte, NE 69103.