Two-Vehicle Collision Reconstruction : A Rational, Computer-Aided Approach

Methods are presented for predicting either initial speeds or impact locations for two inelastic vehicles on a collision course. Forty system parameters are distinguished, of which up to 35 can be deduced with varying degrees of accuracy from post-collision data. The remaining parameters are calculated using the conservation laws of linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy. Essential ingredients of this analysis are the plastic impact deformation energies and the friction work along the post impact trajectories. Examples of central impact and computer-aided studies for oblique impact illustrate how vehicle speed predictions vary within the bounds of uncertain accident data.