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3 Lesson7 Power Point

This document discusses forensic engineering techniques for vehicular accident reconstruction. It includes activities on investigating accident scenes, examining vehicle tires and road conditions, measuring skid marks, determining driver sobriety, and obtaining eyewitness statements. A case study examines the contradictory statements of a driver, injured person, and witness regarding a midnight crash. Analyzing the evidence and statements suggests the driver likely went through a red light and was traveling over the speed limit when the collision occurred. Computer animations can accurately represent accident evidence and testimonies to help understand what transpired.

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204 views

3 Lesson7 Power Point

This document discusses forensic engineering techniques for vehicular accident reconstruction. It includes activities on investigating accident scenes, examining vehicle tires and road conditions, measuring skid marks, determining driver sobriety, and obtaining eyewitness statements. A case study examines the contradictory statements of a driver, injured person, and witness regarding a midnight crash. Analyzing the evidence and statements suggests the driver likely went through a red light and was traveling over the speed limit when the collision occurred. Computer animations can accurately represent accident evidence and testimonies to help understand what transpired.

Uploaded by

ayabdalla
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 7 Forensic Engineering Vehicular Accident Reconstruction

Activity 7.1 Introduction


Short video on car crashes: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2382492/ car_crash_compilation

Activity 7.2 Accident Scene Investigation


5,6

2 1 3,4

Source: Tai Kung Pao (20-3-2010)


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Activity 7.2
Things you would do:
1. Examine the tyres of the vehicles

WHY ?
Flat or damaged tyres may cause the car to lose control Oil spill, strange obstacles and sharp objects may cause the accident May show whether the tyre was flat or overloading. (see Activity7.5) May help estimate the speed of the vehicle before impact. (see Activity 7.6) Alcohol or drug will affect a drivers reaction time during an accident. (see Activity 7.4) They can provide information which are helpful in reconstructing the accident.(see Activity 7.7) To check out whether the victim had turned on the hazard lights before the collision. (see Activity 7.3)
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2. Examine the roads condition

3. Record the features of the skid marks

4. Measure the length of the skid marks

5. To know whether the drivers are drunk or medicated 6. Obtain the oral confession of the eyewitnesses

7. Examine the hazard lights of the Rolls Royce

Activity 7.3 Reaction time of the driver


Reaction time is the lapse of time between stimulation and the beginning of response. Conditions
Normal Having telephone conservation / Listening music Drunk or under medication

Reaction time
~ 1 sec ~1.5 2 sec

~ 2 5 sec

Activity 7.3 Reaction time of the driver


Thinking distance() : the distance travelled by the car in your reaction time Braking distance() : the distance skidded by the car after the brake is applied

Total stopping distance = Thinking distance + Braking distance

Activity 7.3

http://www.shep.net/resources/curricular/physics/ja va/javaReaction/index.html
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Activity 7.4 Features of skid marks

Activity 7.4 Features of skid marks


Explanation : under-inflated tyrecontact of tyre edges with road > (firmer than) contact of centre part of tyre with road

The depreciation of the edges of tyre are much faster; When sliding on road, it gives skid marks with missing centre part. over-inflated tyrecontact of centre part of tyre with road > (firmer than) contact of tyre edges with road causing

skid marks with missing tyre edges


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Activity 7.5 START and STOP


The acceleration of a vehicle
Acceleration = the rate of change of the speed

vu a t

v u 2a s
2 2
a = acceleration; v = final velocity; u = initial velocity; t = time interval; s = distance travelled

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Activity 7.5 START and STOP


The braking of a vehicle Skid marks begin when the brake is applied and end when the car stops. It is the friction between the tyres and the road surface that causes the car to decelerate and stop.

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Experiment
To prove F = constant x W

PULL

Figure 1

Figure 2

W
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Experiment

Drag factor f = F / W
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The braking of a vehicle

speed 254 D f
Where speed : the speed just before sliding (measure in km/h) f : drag factor D : length of the skid mark (measure in m)

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After thorough investigation you get the following information :


mass of the car and Carol : 1100 kg mass of Herny : 60 kg speed limit at the location : 50 km/h drag factor f = 0.7 point of impact : 28 m from the nearby traffic lamps 17 m long skid marks from the point of impact
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Herny lay on the ground; clothes fibers and some blood spatters were found near Henrys body; a few street lamps were out of order during the accident; the manufacturer of Carols car claimed that the maximum acceleration of the car is 2.4 m/s2
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Q1. From the above information, can you estimate the minimum speed of Carols car during the crash? (Since the mass of car is much heavier than that of Henry, we can assume the speed of the car didnt change after the collision.)

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Q1. Answer:
= 55.0 km/h

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In order to reveal the truth and provide evidence in the court, your team had interviewed Carol, Henry and Sam respectively and got the following confessions:

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Carol (the driver, a nurse, 40 , mother of 3 kids)


When I was hurrying to the hospital for work that night, I stopped my car before the red traffic light. The road was dark. After the traffic light turned green and making sure that the road ahead was clear, I drove across the road junction. Suddenly, I saw a person wearing dark clothes appearing in front of me. I swear that I couldnt see him until that moment. I pressed my horn sharply but he didnt seem to have any response. Everything was too late and my car knocked him down. I applied the brake immediately to stop my car. I was so scared that I stayed in my car until the police came.
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Henry (the injured person, a salesman, 26, single)


After drinking with my friends, I left the bar around midnight. I intended to catch the last bus home. The pedestrian lamp was green and flashing when I was running across the road. Suddenly, without sounding its horn a car at high speed came to me from my right hand side and knocked me unconscious.
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Sam (witness, a financial planner, 33, married)


That was a quiet night. When I was walking towards the bus-stop after meeting with a client, I heard very loud sound of horn from behind suddenly. I turned to my left and saw a car knocking down a person. I remember that the pedestrian lamp near the crash scene was still red at that moment. I ran quickly across the road to see what I could help. I saw a man wearing black clothes lying on the road with some bloodstains around him. A car stopped about 10 m away from the injured person. The driver who was a lady got off her car. She was very scared. I called 999 with my mobile phone for her.
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Case study midnight crash


Q2. Comparing the confessions of Carol, Henry and Sam list out some points that you think are contradictory.

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Case study midnight crash


Answers: 1. Carol said that she drove across the road junction when the pedestrian lamp was green, which is consistent with Sams confession (I remember that the pedestrian lamp near the crash scene was still red at that moment.). However, Henry said the pedestrian lamp was green and flashing when he was running across the road. 2. Carol said that she had pressed the horn and the sound of horn was also heard by Sam. However, Henry claimed that the car came to him at high speed without sounding its horn. 3. Carol said that she stayed in the car until the police came while Sam said she got off the car right after the accident.

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Case study midnight crash


Q3. Comment on the confessions and discuss whether they are trustworthy () or doubtful (?).

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Case study midnight crash


Q3. Answers:

Carol : () The road was dark. (some street lamps were out of order) () I had pressed the horn. (supported by Sams confession) () I had braked the car after knocking down Henry. (confirmed by the evidence from the skid marks left) (?) I stayed in the car until the police came (contradicted with Sams confession)

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Case study midnight crash


Henry : () I was running when I was knocked down by the car. (the inertia of his body would bring him a bit north after the impact
resultant movement of Henry running direction of Henry

movement given by car

(?) The pedestrian lamp was green / flashing (contradicted Carols confession After the traffic light turned green ( the pedestrian lamp facing Henry should be red) and making sure that the road was clear ) (?) The car did not sound its horn (contradicted Sams confession I heard very loud sound of horn from behind suddenly)

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Case study midnight crash


Sam : () I heard the horn before the collision. () The car stopped about 10 m from the body (quite consistent with the site measurement)

(?) The pedestrian lamp was red during the collision (there may be time lapsed (about 10 seconds), it is difficult to prove that the pedestrian lamp was really red during the moment of collision) (?) The driver got off the car (contradicted with Carols confession I was so scared that I stayed in my car until the police came)
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Case study midnight crash


Crucial factor maximum speed she could attain is v = 11.6 m/s = 41.8 km/h

Solution: V2-u2=2as V2-0=2as V2=2as=2(2.4)(28) V=11.6 m/s = 41.8km/h


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Carol drove across the road junction when the traffic light facing her was still red and hit Henry who was then running across the road (the pedestrian lamp facing him was green) ? OR Carol drove across the road junction when the traffic light facing her was green but hit Henry who was then running across the road (the pedestrian lamp facing him was red)?
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However, the minimum speed of Carols car at the point of impact was 55 kmh-1

The conclusion is that Carols car did NOT start from rest at the traffic lamp. In fact, she was probably driving across the road junction when the red light was on and her car knocked down Henry.

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Activity 7.7 Accident Animation


Nowadays, modern technology could develop computer generated animations that accurately represent the forensic testimonies and witness statements to help the understanding of car accidents or events. The animations pull together all the relevant evidences and present it in a logical and clear manner. They are able to give a visual demonstration of events surrounding the car accident. In some of the cases, the animations are used in attending meetings or providing courtroom presentation.
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Here are some examples of Accident Animation (Multiple Animated Objects):


The animation is based on the footage of a real accident. The animation includes the Jogger View, Second Pedestrian View and Car Across Intersection View. Luckily, the person run over in the animation did survive in the accident! Reference for the animation : http://www.mapscenes.com/software/capt ure/samples/index.htm
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