MICROCOMPUTERS AID TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ANALYSIS AND RECONSTRUCTION

The Traffic Accident Analysis and Reconstruction (TAAR) System was developed as a new tool to facilitate accident investigation. The program's major objectives are to reduce investigation time, and improve the reliability and increase the completeness of the information collected. The TAAR System computerized a number of the laws of physics and developed 54 models of vehicle accident kinematics simulating skid, spin, vaulting, rollover, and emergency braking. These models calculate impact velocities, perception/reaction braking distances, stopping distances, pre-impact velocities, etc., for accidents involving vehicles, pedestrians, motorcycles, trucks, trains and fixed objects. The user need not be a physicist or engineer to benefit from this technology; he need only understand the required input and program limitations. An example of the use of the TAAR System to calculate braking and stopping distance for an accident in which the driver struck a bear is presented in this article. The driver was found to be driving in excess of 69 mph, rather than at 50 mph as he claimed. This fact was determined in a matter of minutes by use of the TAAR System.

• Corporate Authors:

  International Association of Chiefs of Police

  11 Firstfield Road
  Gaithersburg, MD  United States  20760
• Authors:
  • Reizes, H
• Publication Date: 1986-7

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 63
• Serial:
  • POLICE CHIEF
  • Volume: 53
  • Issue Number: 7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Computer programs; Crash analysis; Crash investigation; Crash reconstruction; Kinematics; Mathematical models; Microcomputers; Reliability; Traffic crashes; Utilization
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00493530
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 226
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 30 1990 12:00AM