Accident Investigation

Tree eats car…

Car in the bush…
Truck in house…
Sand buckets work…
Possible cause for single vehicle
accidents
 Possible Reasons
1. *Distraction (Phone, Radio, Bugs…)
2. Drunk
3. Excessive speed with loss of control
4. Slick road surface (unsafe speed, unsafe
distance, bald tires)
5. Avoidance of animal, person or other vehicle
6. Brake/Accelerator Confusion
7. Equipment malfunction
8. Asleep
 Process Scene
• Photograph
• Draw
• Measure
• Interview Witnesses
• Look at vehicle documents
• Document weather/road conditions
 Skid Marks
• Evidence of braking before
crash
• Friction between road and tire
causes burning
• Can determine Minimum
Traveling Speed preceding
accident, site of incident,
evidence of avoidance or lack
of avoidance
 Skid Marks-Min. Speed
Simplistic SKID to STOP formula:
•Assumes final velocity is 0 mph (ie. gently comes to a
stop with no impact)

S = speed in miles per hour (MPH),

D = skid distance, in feet, and
f = drag factor (includes grade considerations, braking
efficiency, and coefficient of friction)
f=Coefficient of Friction X Breaking Efficiency +
slope
 Skid Marks and Speed

Vi = initial velocity, in feet per second (FPS),

VE = velocity at the end of skid, in feet per second (FPS),

a = acceleration/deceleration, in feet per second

squared, and
D = skid distance, in feet.

Note: Car 1 is still traveling into Car 2 when skid

marks stop
 Friction Table (Estimates)
• Concrete: 0.75
• Wet Concrete: 0.60
• Dry Asphalt: 0.65
• Wet Asphalt: 0.50
• Wet Grassy Field: 0.20
• Gravel and Dirt Road: 0.35
• Ice: 0.10 to 0.15
• Snow: 0.20 to 0.25
 Flaws with Friction Table

• Road varies in age, exact construction

material, and condition
• Subject’s car tire condition important
 Best ways to determine real
coefficient of friction
• Optimal use subject car and run at known
speed
• Create skid marks
• Calculate coefficient of friction
• Or use a Drag Box
Determining a surface’s coefficient
of friction
• Drag Box
– Box has weight
– Box has tire surface on bottom of box
– Measure force to pull box and maintain speed
– Coefficient of friction=Avg. pull force/box
weight
What if no skid marks?
Explanations….
• Brake malfunction
– How do disk brakes work?
• Not watching road
• Couldn’t see out window
• Drunk
• Unconscious
 No Skid Marking
• Event Data Recorder
– Logs pre-crash speed
– Logs brake use
 No Skid Marks
• Can look at Victim's Crush Depth
– Depth depends on car type
– About 20in for every 35mph
V=(Vo+k)D

V=Impact Speed
Vo=max speed for no crush (manufacturer)
K=crush stiffness (manufacturer)
D=Avg. Crush Depth (measured)
Did Driver signal lane change or
have headlights on?
Brake Lights
 Lights
• Brake Lights have filament bowed upward
• This means lights were on at crash
• Heat and impact causes deformed shape
• Means that driver braked before crash
Lights

Horizontal filaments tells of lights

no being on at crash
 NYS Traffic Law
• Speeding (1-10 MPH over posted limit): 3
points
• Speeding (11-20 MPH over posted limit): 4
points
• Speeding (21-30 MPH over posted limit): 6
points
• Speeding (31-40 MPH over posted limit): 8
points
 NYS Traffic Law
• Speeding (more than 40 MPH over posted
limit): 11 points
• Reckless driving: 5 points
• Failing to stop for a school bus: 5 points
• Following too closely (tailgating): 4 points
• Inadequate brakes: 4 points
• Inadequate brakes while driving an
employer's vehicle: 2 points
• Failing to yield right-of-way: 3 points
• Violation involving a traffic signal, stop sign, or
yield sign: 3 points
• Railroad-crossing violation: 3 points
• Improper passing, unsafe lane change, driving
left of center, or driving in wrong direction: 3
points
• Leaving the scene of an incident involving
property damage or injury to a domestic
animal: 3 points
• Safety restraint violation involving a person
under 16: 3 points
• Any other moving violation: 2 points
• May have your license suspended for
accumulating 11 or more points within 18
months