Stability Considerations in the Mathematical Reconstruction of Traffic Accidents

Computerized simulations of traffic accidents are done for research and for reconstruction purposes. Motions of several interacting bodies, however, are prone to be highly instable. Meaningless results can therefore be produced. Two methods are introduced which allow for an assessment of the stability of a motion. The results obtained seem to support the hypothesis that all accident motions are instable to some degree. In each accident situation to be simulated or reconstructed on a computer it has therefore to be decided whether the appearing instabilities are tolerable or not. Two field examples are shown which exhibit tolerable and intolerable instabilities.