Vehicle Crash Reconstruction: Principles and Technology C1728
Topics: Accident Reconstruction
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.
Learning Objectives
By attending this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe the basic evidence documentation techniques
- Recognize the different types of evidence produced by the different collision types
- Describe the basic mechanics of collision
- Summarize the principles of planar impact mechanics and crush analysis
- Describe the forms of analysis applicable to each collision type
- Summarize the empirical data available in the literature for each collision type
Who Should Attend
This course is well-suited for individuals just beginning to work in the area of crash reconstruction as well as persons already in the field who want to establish a firmer foundation in current crash reconstruction technology.
You must complete all course contact hours and successfully pass the learning assessment to obtain CEUs.
Neal Carter and Nathan Rose
Neal Carter is a Principal Engineer at Explico Engineering, an accident reconstruction, forensic engineering, and forensic visualization firm with offices across the United States. Prior to that, he was the Vice President and Principal Engineer at Luminous Forensics, an accident reconstruction firm that he founded in 2019, and a Principal Engineer at Kineticorp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah. Neal is an accredited accident reconstructionist through the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) and a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). He has offered expert testimony as an accident reconstructionist in court. He has authored numerous papers in the areas of tire modeling, crush analysis, simulation, motorcycle dynamics, video analysis, photogrammetry, event data recorders, and the use of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for accident reconstruction.
Nathan Rose is a Principal Accident Reconstructionist at Explico Engineering. Prior to that, from 2019 to 2021, he was a founder and Principal Accident Reconstructionist at Luminous Forensics. Prior to that, from 2005 to 2019, he was a partner, director, and principal accident reconstructionist at a Denver-based accident reconstruction firm that he helped found in 2005. Before that, he held positions as an engineer (1998 to 2003) and a senior engineer (2003 to 2005) at Knott Laboratory. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering with a civil specialty from the Colorado School of Mines (1998) and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado at Denver (2003). Nathan is accredited as a traffic accident reconstructionist by the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR), and he has offered expert testimony as a reconstructionist in courts around the United States.
During his graduate studies, he specialized in dynamics and impact mechanics, and he has published numerous technical articles, reports, and books related to vehicular accident reconstruction. Nathan holds a motorcycle endorsement in the State of Colorado, and he has completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic and Advanced Rider Courses and their Street Strategies course. He is the author of the books "Motorcycle Accident Reconstruction" and "Rollover Accident Reconstruction," both published by SAE. You can reach Nathan at (720)839-1995 and read his blog at www.nathanarose.com.
