MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION AND CAUSE ANALYSIS

The book is divided into eight parts. Part 1, concerned with motor vehicle factors, presents the functions and different design concepts of all essential vehicle components. Their critical performance in accidents is discussed. Part 2 deals with vehicle motion analysis. Presented are motion fundamentals, tire forces, braking, vibrations, and directional control including rollover and handling of vehicles. Part 3 treats accident avoidance analysis. Included in the discussions are if and how a collision can be avoided, passing maneuver and driver view field analysis. Part 4 deals with the fundamentals of collision analysis. Both nonrotating and rotating collision vehicles are considered. Impact analyses including rotation are essential for accident reconstructions involving primary and secondary collisions. Post crash motion, occupant dynamics, human tolerances to impact loading, computer based collision reconstruction, and car-pedestrian accidents are discussed. Part 5, concerned with safety standards, presents a brief summary of existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and ongoing defects investigations. Part 6 treats accident investigation factors and a discussion of their relative importance to accident reconstruction. Part 7 deals with the application of reconstruction fundamentals to actual collisions. The reader will find several cases covering all major aspects of reconstruction. Part 8 is concerned with special studies. Included are special accident studies and findings about accident statistics. A brief description of a desirable profile of an expert witness and court room hints are included.

• Corporate Authors:

  Michie Company

  58 Boulevard Lefebvre
  Charlottesville, VA  United States 
• Authors:
  • LIMPERT, R
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 597 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated vehicle control; Braking; Crash analysis; Crash causes; Crash investigation; Crash reconstruction; Defects; Driving; Expert evidence; Handling characteristics; Motion; Rollover crashes; Safety; Statistics; Tires; Traffic crashes; Vehicle components; Vehicle design; Vibration
• Identifier Terms: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
• Uncontrolled Terms: Accident avoidance
• Old TRIS Terms: Expert testimony
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389471
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: 2nd ed., HS-037 721
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM