VEHICULAR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION and RECONSTRUCTION VEHICULAR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION and RECONSTRUCTION Donald J. Van Kirk CRC Press Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C. 2020/fm/frame Page iv Wednesday, August 2, 2000 3:19 AM Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Van Kirk, Donald J. Vehicular accident investigation and reconstruction / by Donald J. Van Kirk. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8493-2020-8 (alk. paper) 1. Traffic accident investigation. 2. Traffic accidents. I. Title. HV8079.55.V36 2000 364.1′47—dc21 00-044487 This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution, for promotion, for creating new works, or for resale. Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC Press LLC for such copying. Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, Florida 33431. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation, without intent to infringe. © 2001 by CRC Press LLC No claim to original U.S. Government works International Standard Book Number 0-8493-2020-8 Library of Congress Card Number 00-044487 Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Printed on acid-free paper 2020/fm/frame Page v Wednesday, August 2, 2000 3:19 AM Abstract This book was written with a mentor–student relationship in mind, including the use of commentaries from real-world accidents. The basic tools and equipment of the profession are discussed with reasons for using each. Detailed analysis of scene investigations with comprehensive diagrams show- ing the development of scale drawings and methods to locate witness marks and debris are provided. Extensive real-world photographs and diagrams are used to analyze vehicle damage and witness marks. Vehicular occupant kine- matics, as well as pedestrian and motorcycle accidents are discussed in detail. A short history of the various safety equipment used in today’s vehicles is included as basic information. Computer accident simulation and anima- tions are discussed with recommendations for their use. Development and use of exhibits and sources of information are reviewed. Expert depositions and courtroom appearances are discussed along with unusual case histories and a new look at ethics for the investigator/reconstructionist. This book should be a constant source of information and reference. v 2020/fm/frame Page vii Wednesday, August 2, 2000 3:19 AM Acknowledgments I am grateful for the invaluable assistance, friendship, and encouragement of Mitchell Marchi for proofreading the majority of the manuscript and draw- ings and for giving freely of his wealth of automotive knowledge; for the friendship of Paul N. Cross and his assistance in developing many of the drawings needed for a better understanding of the printed word; and finally for the encouragement of my many friends in the legal and medical profession and their friendship over the years of our association. vii 2020/fm/frame Page ix Wednesday, August 2, 2000 3:19 AM Author Biography Donald J. Van Kirk, B.S.E.E., M.S.E.M., M.B.A., P.E., has been a forensic engineering consultant for 15 years. He is retired from his consulting firm and devotes his time to a few major cases a year and to speaking engagements. For the previous 20 years he was employed as a senior engineer at Ford Motor Company in special vehicle engineering. He developed and taught a course titled Human Tolerance Design Data for Automotive Engineers for company personnel, and he worked with the Office of General Counsel involving corporate litigation on product liability cases. Mr. Van Kirk received his B.S.E.E degree in 1964 and his M.S.E.M. in 1969, both from Wayne State University; and in 1975, an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. During his graduate work at Wayne State he worked for the Biomechanics Research Center, where he acted as project engineer on a government and private industry research contract to determine human tolerance to impact from analysis and reconstruction of automotive acci- dents. He set up and trained five teams (two men each) of accident investi- gators to obtain pictures and measurements of deformations of the interior and exterior of a vehicle. He also worked with approximately 50 insurance companies and the local and state police groups in southeastern lower Mich- igan. The second phase was to simulate these accidents in the laboratory. He assisted in the design of a device to slow down the vehicle using a specific pulse shape similar to the vehicle crush characteristics. In addition, he par- ticipated in many other private and public contracts involving the determi- nation of human tolerance design data. The results of this work were published in peer review journals. Van Kirk’s work has been published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Stapp Car Crash Conference, and American Association for Automotive Medicine (AAAM), and in the Journal of Forensic Sciences. He has presented papers before scientists and engineers in Shanghai and Guangzhou, China; the Legal Assistants Association of Michigan; and the International Association of Forensic Scientists Triennial Conference, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and Adelaide, Australia. A member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, Van Kirk served the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers as President of the ix
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