Vehicle collision analysis from estimated crush volume for accident reconstruction

Abstract

In vehicle accident reconstruction analyses, approaching with a two-dimensional method has its limits. In this study, the problems identified in calculating the collision speed with the three-dimensional crush volume established in the author's previous research were addressed and the reliability of its results has been improved. Regarding head-on collisions, curve fitting with a large amount of data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration collision tests was effective in establishing optimal coefficients for various vehicle groups. Additionally, the video data from the recently conducted Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offset collision test was analysed, and based on the analysis results, the collision speed formula was newly established. This has allowed for more accurate speed calculation for offset collisions than using formulas established for head-on collisions.