One out of every five drivers will be involved in a traffic accident this year.

In 2006, there were an estimated 5,973,000 police-reported traffic crashes, in which 42,642 people were killed and 2,575,000 people were injured.

Traffic Accident deaths are the leading cause of death for all age groups between the ages of 2 and 34.

In the year 2006, the economic cost due to motor vehicle accidents was calculated to be $230.6 billion.

In 2006, an average of 117 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes. In 2006, one person died in a motor vehicle crash approximately every 12 minutes.

The Event Data Recorder [EDR] is sometimes referred to as the "black box" in a vehicle.

As of 2003, at least 40 million vehicles were equipped with Event Data Recorder devices.

In 2005, there were 442,000 large trucks involved in traffic accidents across the United States.  These crashes resulted in 5,212 deaths, and 114,000 people were injured.

In 2005, large trucks accounted for 8% of all vehicles involved in fatal traffic accidents.

Large trucks are much more likely to be involved in fatal multiple-vehicle accidents.

The ECM [Electronic Control Module] in a large truck is capable of providing numerous reports regarding the time frame just prior to an accident, such as Hard Braking, Quick Stop, Speed, Engine RPM, Accelerator position, and Last Stop.

However, downloading ECM data is one thing; understanding and analyzing it is another.

The brakes failed!  The steering let go!  The tire blew!  The gas pedal stuck!  The vehicle was destroyed, what can possibly be left as evidence?  Now what?

You have probably heard these claims in the past.  What do you do?  How can you prove or disprove such claims?  How can you prove what actually did occur?  Was a mechanical failure a causative factor in the collision?  Or, are the claims just a convenient alibi or excuse?  You might be surprised at what the forensic evidence may be able to say.

Crucial forensic evidence can be located, documented, and preserved during a competent forensic vehicle examination.  The evidence may not be as obvious as a failed component; it may be hidden in electronic or computer based systems.  Do not trust your case to a garage mechanic and allow the possibility of a misdiagnosed condition or failure jeopardize your case. The mechanic may not be a certified collision reconstructionist, and is unable to analyze the condition or damage relative to the collision dynamics.  A mechanic who is not a certified collision reconstructionist may be unable to, or may incorrectly, identify damage to a component as a failure when the evidence demonstrates the damage is indeed related to collision events.

Biomechanics of Injury studies the biomechanical behavior of the human body under extreme, injury-producing loading conditions.

Biomechanics of Injury is a factor to consider when it is necessary to determine whether or not a claimed injury is consistent with the accident.

In 2006, nationwide seat belt usage was 81 percent.

Approximately 35,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents every year. About half of these people could have been if they had wore their safety belts.

In 2005, 35% of passenger car occupants and 37% of light truck occupants involved in fatal vehicle accidents were unrestrained.

In a 30-mile per hour traffic accident, an unbelted person who weighs 160 lb. can collide with another passenger, smash through a windshield, and/or crash into the vehicle's interior with a force of 4,800 lb.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that airbags have saved almost 20,000 lives.

Over 51% of the nearly 206 million vehicles on US roads have driver airbags, compared to 46% reported in November 1999. More than 78 million (32.9%) of these also have passenger airbags, up from 66 million (32.9%) a year ago. One million new vehicles with airbags are sold monthly.

Low Speed Collision Investigation and Reconstruction requires specialized
training and knowledge in vehicle collision dynamics [momentum, energy and
coefficient of restitution] as well as specialized training and knowledge in
occupant injury dynamics [Biomechanics and Human Factors].

Human Factors (or Ergonomics) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data, and other methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.

The criteria for certification as a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE)
[or Certified Human Factors Professional (CHFP)] are:

1.  A Master's degree in Human Factors/Ergonomics, or an equivalent educational background in the life sciences, engineering sciences and behavioral sciences to comprise a professional level of education in ergonomics.

2.  Three (3) years of full-time professional practice in Human Factors/Ergonomics.

3.  A passing score on the CPE/CHFP written examination.

In 2006, 11.3% of all accident fatalities were motorcycle riders. In 2006, 4,810 motorcycle riders died in traffic accidents.

From 2002 to 2006, motorcycle deaths increased by 47%.

Motorcyclists are 32 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than passenger vehicle occupants.

Head injury is a leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.

In 2005, 34 % of all motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 22% of passenger car drivers.

Between 2005 and 2006, motorcycle rider fatalities increased by 5.1 percent…from 4,576 in 2005 to 4,810 in 2006.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, defective products cause close to 22,000 deaths and more than 29.5 million injuries each year in the United States.

Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost more than $800 billion annually in the U.S.

In 1972, Congress created the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) under the Consumer Product Safety Act. This independent, federal regulatory agency is in charge of protecting the public against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.

There are more than 15,000 types of consumer products under jurisdiction of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, slips, trips and falls cause approximately 15% of accidental deaths. This is second only to traffic accident fatalities.

Higway Design and Control is an integral part of transportation safety. Geometric highway design policies are based on established practices and recommended critical dimensions.

PC Crash allows for simultaneous simulation of up to 2 vehicles (PC-Crash 2D), or 32 vehicles (PC-Crash 3D), with up to five axles per vehicle.

Interface to Specs (North American), ADAC, Vyskocil, DSD (European and Japanese), and KBA vehicle databases.

2D or 3D kinetic calculation model.

Front/rear brake force distribution model plus ABS braking model.

ESP (Electronic Stability Program) model

Specification of driver reaction, accelerating, braking, steering, and other parameters in the form of sequences.