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Previously, we discussed the differences in stopping distance between passenger cars and semi tractor trailers. In this previous post, we discussed that there are some fundamental differences between the two types of vehicles and generally speaking, heavy semi tractor trailers take longer to stop than passenger vehicles. It’s interesting to note that stopping distance is influenced greatly by the tire compound for the stopping vehicle. This is universally true, as tire compound affects the friction available between a tire and the roadway surface. Today’s post will discuss stopping distance of another popular vehicle type: motorcycles. Motorcycles are capable of stopping very quickly. How do they compare with passenger cars? Read on to find out: Scenario: to lay out the difference, consider the following scenario comparing passenger cars, semi tractor trailers, and motorcycles: a full braking stop from 60 mph takes a: Motorcycle: 110 feet Passenger Car: 170 feet Semi Tractor Trailer: 215 feet The numbers are drastically different. It is amazing to think that a motorcycle would be stopped in almost half the distance that it would take for a semi tractor trailer to stop. Tire construction: Stopping distance is related to tire compound. Softer compound tires allow for better grip but wear out faster. For example, motorcycle tires in general are designed to only last thousands of miles, instead of tens of thousands for car tires, or hundreds of thousands of miles for semi tires. Better grip is also more important for a motorcycle than it is for four-wheeled vehicles because loss of grip can often mean a crash for a motorcycle, whereas only a loss of control for a car or truck. Rider Skill Level: Another issue that comes into play with motorcycles is rider skill level. The ability for a rider to properly apply brakes for the most effective stop possible requires that the rider know how to apply both front and rear brakes to their fullest extent, and most importantly, not crash during brake application. Learning how to properly apply brakes takes some practice, and a novice rider will likely not be able to stop as quickly as a veteran rider would. This is an interesting variable that is often overlooked by reconstructionists who claim to have experience in motorcycle accidents. Automobiles, trucks, and semis all provide the driver with maximum braking capabilities, regardless of the skill level of the driver. However, rider skill level has a direct impact in stopping distance for a motorcycle. Therefore, it is important to consider motorcycle rider skill level when discussing the topic of stopping distance. Anti-Lock braking: Even motorcycles can benefit from ABS technology. With the advent of anti-lock braking, automobiles suddenly were given the ability to stop and maintain control at the same time. Motorcycles can also take advantage of ABS systems, and the majority of motorcycle manufacturers these days offer ABS on their bikes. ABS systems on motorcycles have the ability to help the rider apply maximum brakes without the risk of losing control through a low-side or high-side event during braking. Veritech’s engineers are avid motorcyclists and have the skill and experience to reconstruct your accident correctly. Call us today with your case!

At Veritech, we perform a lot of accident reconstructions that start with black box data downloads from vehicles. We’ve covered black box downloads in other blog posts. These downloads capture pre-impact, impact, and post-impact data that are related to a crash. The information gathered during a download can be valuable as a starting point when performing an accident reconstruction. After all, having information relating to the vehicle’s speed and pre-impact behavior is often important when coming up with answers relating to a car accident. Most commonly, the vehicle’s airbag control module or “ACM” is the electronic piece of equipment that does the data logging during an accident. The ACM is what decides on deployment of the vehicle’s supplemental restraint system, or airbags. In some accident scenarios, the ACM may determine that airbag deployment is not necessary. So, if your accident does not have airbag deployment, does this mean that there is no impact-related data recorded by the ACM? This is a question that we get a lot from attorneys, adjusters, and even curious and inquisitive citizens who call us. The answer is complicated because in most cases, there will be data, but not always. This is because of a couple of reasons: Reason 1: The impact did not “wake up” the ACM. In many minor collisions, the ACM will not be aware that an impact took place. This is because most ACM’s are not programmed to even record data below a certain threshold. This threshold is commonly 5 mph. In other words, an impact that produces a change in speed of less than 5 mph will not record data. Some ACM’s are different than others, however, and could have a different threshold than 5 mph. An interesting side note: most vehicle bumper systems that conform to FMVSS 581 are designed in such a way to withstand a 5 mph impact in most cases. This screenshot shows that an event was recorded by the ACM, but it was a "Non-Deployment" event. In other words, the airbags did not fire as a result of the crash. Reason 2: The ACM is too old. Some early versions of ACM’s do not store any data without deployment. For example, many older Ford models (2000’s model years) may have some sort of recording capability, but could not be able to record data in certain impact related events. Reason 3: The impact was not head-on. Some accident scenarios will produce a 5 mph impact delta-v, however since the impact was not head-on, some component of the impact delta-v may be associated with a side impact. Therefore, since the crash pulse in split between front and side, and may not be sufficient to record any data. The graph above shows a relatively high delta-v for a non-deployment event. While the delta-v (crash pulse) was higher than 5 mph, it still was under the threshold of deploying the airbags during the crash. This decision was made by the ACM during the crash. There may or may not be data associated with your crash. The circumstances surrounding the impact and whether or not your specific vehicle are capable of recording data must be taken into consideration when deciding on whether or not to pursue a black box download. The first step, as always, is to contact us. We can help guide you through the process and look up the details of your specific vehicle in our extensive database. Thanks for reading, and Happy Friday!

Braking systems for vehicles are dependent on a series of individual components. Each of these components is important for the functioning of the brakes, allowing the vehicle to stop when necessary. Hydraulic disc brakes are common for many passenger vehicles, and are the gold standard nowadays for performance and reliability among all cars on the road. Commercial vehicle brakes are a little different; mostly because they use compressed air in the brake lines instead of hydraulic brake fluid. Brake drums at a truck’s wheels handle the actual braking duties, components that are not usually found on modern passenger vehicles but were very common in passenger vehicles 30 or more years ago. One thing is for certain: brakes serve one purpose: to slow down and stop a vehicle as quickly as possible under all circumstances. Passenger Vehicle Brakes: The time spent braking before an accident is typically done at maximum braking level. Accident reconstructionists can measure maximum braking by application of a few different methods . The main way is by measurement of tire marks. For passenger vehicles, tire marks can be an indicator of locked wheels usually by application of brakes (not considering the usage of anti-lock brake systems). These skid marks can be used to help determine vehicle speeds at the time of brake application. Typically, a vehicle that is in the process of leaving tire marks on the surface of the roadway, when all four tires are locked, will be capable of stopping from 30 mph in about 43 feet. This is useful to know when asked to determine the speed of the vehicle at the start of the skid. How does an accident reconstructionist come up with this speed? By applying a proper “brake factor” to the calculation of the skid. Brake factors have been studied extensively by many different scientific agencies based on typical tires for standard tire skids. The results of skid testing has resulted in an industry wide accepted range of values for passenger vehicle brake factor that can be used in the determination of vehicle speeds from skid marks. Commercial Vehicle Brakes: To complicate things, semi tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles do not share the same brake factors that passenger vehicles do. The industry accepted brake factor for these large trucks is on the order of only 80% of the brake factor for passenger vehicles. What does this mean? In a similar braking situation and at the same 30 mph speed as a passenger vehicle, a semi truck will take longer to stop when emergency brakes are applied. Instead of stopping in 43 feet as mentioned above, a semi truck could take almost 54 feet to stop. This means that, in a similar scenario, a semi will still be moving at a speed of about 14 mph when the passenger vehicle has stopped! The Difference: Not only are semi tractor trailers much heavier, they are also unable to stop in as short of a distance as passenger vehicles. Why is this? There are many things that contribute to the differences in stopping distance of these two categories of vehicles. However, the main reason is fairly straightforward: TIRES. Tires for a passenger vehicle will last about 30,000 to 60,000 miles on average. This is acceptable for most consumers, as it means that tires only need to be replaced every few years. Tires for commercial vehicle are designed to last a long time. In fact, it is not unheard of for semi truck tires to last 400,000 miles. In order for these tires to last longer, they are manufactured out of harder rubber that resists wear at the cost of increased stopping distance. The amount of miles that commercial vehicles are driven in a year is significantly more, therefore making it necessary to have tires that last a long time to be cost effective for shipping and vehicle maintenance. It is important to consider the differences in stopping distance between large trucks and passenger vehicles. Veritech’s team of forensic engineers is well versed in the differences between all different types of braking systems and stopping distances . We can help you understand the effects of this for your accident, so reach out to us today.

As forensic engineers, one of the most common scenarios we face is not having a lot of information to go off of when performing our work, be it during an accident reconstruction or failure analysis. In fact, more often than not, we must rely on only photographs that are given to us by our clients that illustrate the problem that we are asked to solve. While it would be nice to have all the information given to us perfectly every time, it is simply not possible for this to happen. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges we face as forensic engineers is analysis of physical evidence based only on photographs. This is the essence of photogrammetry – at least in the field of forensic engineering. Using the science of photogrammetry, one is able to extract more than just visual observations from photographs. In fact, photogrammetry can be used to extract 3-Dimensional data from photographs of evidence that has been long gone since the photo was taken. One question asked of us frequently by our clients is: “What do you make of the accident based on these photographs I gave you?” To answer this, let’s dive into a photogrammetric analysis process based on a hypothetical scenario described below: Scenario: An accident has occurred some years ago. There are photographs of the tire marks left at the accident scene but the tire marks are long gone nowadays. In order to do a proper accident reconstruction, the lengths of the tire marks need to be determined. How do you get measurements from the tire marks if they don’t exist anymore? The answer: Photogrammetry in three main steps. Step 1: The first step is to survey the accident site. Even though the tire marks are gone now, a survey to get the general geometry of the roadway is helpful in performing the photogrammetry. In the picture below, the tire marks are visible leaving the roadway and leading to disturbed dirt and grass off of the roadway shoulder. Based on a survey of the accident site, the road surface is defined, minus the location of the tire marks. Step 2: Mark points on the photograph of the tire marks. Using software made especially for photogrammetry, the photograph is rectified properly and the location of the tire marks is marked by the forensic engineer. The picture below shows the markup of these tire marks. Step 3: Export the data from the photogrammetry into a computer-aided design (CAD) program to measure the lengths of the photographs. The picture below shows what the tire marks would look like from a bird’s eye view, after importing the photogrammetry project into a CAD program. From here, the lengths of the tire marks are easily determined, allowing the forensic engineer to properly perform an accident reconstruction. While this process has been simplified in the preceding example, in many cases photographs are more difficult to rectify and information is not as easy to determine. Therefore, it is important that you contact us with your photogrammetry questions before committing to a case based on photographs. As always, we are happy to review your case without any obligation. Let us know how we can help you!

The vast majority of vehicles on the road today contain a “black box”. Within the last 15 years or so, automakers have implemented a collision-related recording device into their vehicles that can be accessed digitally though the vehicle’s OBDII port. In many instances, a vehicle’s black box data may be available after a crash occurs. The black box, otherwise known as an Event Data Recorder (EDR), stores certain information regarding an impact. Oftentimes, many attorneys use this information at face value when providing legal representation and advocacy to their involved clients. The problem with this is that the data that is collected during a black box download may not be sufficient to tell the story behind the crash. In this post, we will consider the limitations of black box data, and discuss some of the shortcomings as well as how to work around them to better serve your clients and end up with a successful outcome. Part 1: The Origin of the Black Box Taken from the world of aviation, the term “black box” is simply another way of discussing the brain of a vehicle that stores impact related data that is useful when determining who is at fault and even the impact severity sustained by a vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has imparted some explanation as to the origin of black boxes. In their words (read more here), the black box or EDR is used to define criteria used by the vehicle in assessing impact severity, which is, in turn, used by the vehicles safety system. Airbags are determined to be deployed based on the black box data, which is constantly monitoring things such as vehicle speed, braking level, and impact deceleration rate (delta-V). From the automakers standpoint, this is all that they care about - determining whether or not to fire airbags is generally considered the decision that the black box decides, and the systems are generally designed for this objective. From a litigation standpoint, this data can be useful because it can help determine if the driver was potentially speeding or whether or not they applied brakes and were attentive before impact, not to mention the ability to quantify the impact severity to help correlate injuries. Part 2: The Problems with Black Box Data While many attorneys are satisfied with the information provided by obtaining black box data, it is important to realize some of the limitations. For example, most black boxes only store a brief amount if pre-impact information. Typically only the 5 seconds before impact is considered. This makes it difficult to determine a driver’s pre-impact behavior before the black box begins recording. Another limitation is that the black box system is only capable of recording certain criteria, which is different based on year, make, model, and even sub-model of vehicle. There is no guarantee that data types will be consistent between model years of the same vehicle. That being said, typically the impact severity (delta V) information is recorded in most cases. Most importantly, it is always necessary to match the black box data with the physical evidence from the accident. This requires a specialized eye from a forensic accident reconstructionist to perform accurately. If the recorded data does not match the physical evidence, tire marks, vehicle crush, pre-impact vehicle behavior, and post impact to rest information, then the black box data could be unrelated to the particular accident or even improperly recorded or compromised by the vehicle itself. For this reason, it is imperative that black box data is properly vetted before being relied upon or used in litigation. Part 3: How to Use Black Box Data to Your Advantage If the data from the black box has been successfully retrieved from the damaged vehicle, the next step is to contact us directly for proper analysis of the information that was downloaded. We have the experience and expertise to thoroughly assess the data from the impact, and provide you with an easy to understand explanation of the vehicle crash. At this point, we can also most likely determine if the black box data is valid and usable. In most cases, physical evidence can also be reviewed to determine if it matches the black box data. Once we have vetted the data for you, we’ll share any problems that may arise in using the data, based on the specifics of the crash. It is important to realize that much of the data retrieved can be difficult to understand at first. Reach out to us if you need help understanding the download. For more information on black box downloads, refer to our FAQ’s on the black box page.

We are proud to announce that Veritech Consulting Engineering has been chosen as the 2022 Best Engineering Consultant in the Castle Rock, Colorado area! We are honored to have received this award and value the support that we receive from the local community. The professional relationships that we have with all of our clients have helped us achieve great things. We'd like to say “Thank you” to each and every one of you. The original content of the press release is included below: Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Veritech Consulting Engineering Receives 2022 Best of Castle Rock Award Castle Rock Award Program Honors the Achievement CASTLE ROCK December 9, 2022 -- Veritech Consulting Engineering has been selected for the 2022 Best of Castle Rock Award in the Engineering Consultant category by the Castle Rock Award Program. Each year, the Castle Rock Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Castle Rock area a great place to live, work and play. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2022 Castle Rock Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Castle Rock Award Program and data provided by third parties. About Castle Rock Award Program The Castle Rock Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Castle Rock area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. The Castle Rock Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy. SOURCE: Castle Rock Award Program CONTACT: Castle Rock Award Program Email: PublicRelations@accolade-city.com URL: http://www.accolade-city.com

What to do if you are in an accident In this day and age, accidents are unfortunately a part of life. It is important to be prepared if an accident should occur, even if you are not expecting to ever be in one. While it may be difficult to recall a list of steps in the heat of the moment, this list will help mentally prepare you in the event you are in an accident. While car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents all have their differences, here is a short list to follow should any incident occur: 1. Check to see if you are injured. First and foremost, check to see if you have sustained any injuries. Keep in mind that some injuries will not immediately be accompanied by pain right away. 2. Check your passengers. Immediately after checking yourself for injuries, check the well-being of your passengers, and ensure that they are safe and stable. 3. Call the authorities. It is important to call 9-1-1 as soon as feasible after an accident. This will ensure that police arrive as soon as possible to help with the situation. 4. Check on the other driver. In most cases, the other driver will be following these steps as well, however ensure that the other driver is not injured as soon as you can safely do so. 5. Ensure that you are out of harm’s way. If your vehicle, or both vehicles, are in the path of traffic, get yourself and your passengers out of the vehicle and away from other traffic as soon as possible. Once the police arrive, they may be interested in the locations of the vehicles at their points of rest, so do not move them unless instructed to do so. 6. Remain on scene as long as necessary. 7. Take pictures and video. Once things have calmed down, photograph the entire accident scene, including the damage to the vehicles, surroundings, and roadway. Try to identify the area of impact within the roadway, and document and photograph the location of any parts of the cars that were torn from the vehicles during the impact. More photographs and video is always better, and can be useful in the event that a dispute occurs. Veritech’s cutting edge Photogrammetry capabilities can help reconstruct an accident by using photographs or video of an accident scene and can be useful in creating forensic animations. 8. File an accident report. The police may be able to help you with this. If you are uncomfortable in providing a statement to the police, consult an attorney as soon as possible. This list should provide general guidelines for one to follow in the event that a wreck occurs. More importantly, remember to drive defensively, follow the rules of the road, and look out for the other guy. Safe travels!

One big question that begs to be answered is: how will the human race maintain a sustainable production of food as the population increases? This question is answered in many different ways, however one solution is to improve the current methods of farming that are used, at least in the United States. Currently, large tractors are used to plant and cultivate fields in an organized method. These tractors, typically human operated, require significant amounts of time and labor to complete tasks. Navigating tractors as driverless vehicles is a relatively new concept, although the technology to do this has been around for some time now. While driverless cars are quickly becoming more accepted, driverless tractors have more difficulty in navigating, since they do not have physical landmarks such as lane lines, roadway edges, and physical objects to reference while navigating. Instead, a tractor’s position must be held constant through global positioning, onboard sensors, and real-time kinematic sensors. While GPS and RTK systems have been used for many years, the sensitivity of onboard sensors has recently improved significantly. GPS has the ability to position to roughly 3 meters in any direction, which is not sufficient for proper crop cultivation. The goal, centimeter level accuracy, can be accomplished using new sensors inertial measurements. An IMU, or inertial measurement unit, measures accelerations in any direction, as well as rotation changes in any direction. New advances in technology allow these IMU sensors to provide positioning accuracy on the level of centimeters, allowing farming tractors to navigate fields with amazing accuracy, therefore reducing seed and crop waste, and improving operating efficiencies overall. Micro-electronic mechanical systems, or MEMS, are being utilized in IMU sensors to increase accuracy and reduce sensor drift. These are significant steps in the right direction to provide cost effective food populations into the near future. -article taken from www.sae.org

On May 6, 2022, Joe Tremblay joined the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE), receiving one of the highest distinctions awarded to a forensic engineer. Mr. Tremblay's professional accomplishments, skills, and experience were thoroughly reviewed by NAFE prior to acceptance. As a result, Mr. Tremblay now holds the distinction of Board-Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering. Read the official press release as follows: Dateline: Alexandria, VA, 6 May 2022 — The National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE) Serves the jurisprudential system by certifying individuals having achieved expertise in forensic engineering and by serving Academy members and furthering the development of forensic engineers through education and the publication of peer-reviewed technical literature. Joseph Tremblay satisfied the requirements to qualify for full membership; the requirements are to be a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and must be a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.). The candidate must have appropriate engineering education and experience in practice, including actual experience in forensic engineering. Mr. Tremblay is a forensic engineer with Veritech Consulting Engineering. “This is a substantial achievement for an engineer. Membership in the Academy recognizes technical competence to assist attorneys, juries, and judges reach equitable resolutions to disputes.” Drew Peake, PE, DFE, Fellow NAFE Congratulations to Mr. Tremblay on a job well done! To read the official press release, click here: To find out more about NAFE, click here

The emergence of electric vehicles in the main stream automotive market is surely causing a stir. As more and more manufacturers come out with new electric vehicles, consumers are becoming polarized to the number of options available, and while some are ecstatic, others are lamenting on the loss of internal combustion engines. To be sure, it is apparent that the majority of consumers welcome the idea of electric vehicles, primarily due to the promise that electric vehicles come with a reduction in operating costs, fuel, and maintenance. Also, those who see a greener future with electric vehicles, albeit at the cost of new environmental challenges from the production and consumption of resources related to battery and electrical components consumption. Regardless, many consumers are focused directly on Ford and their new F150 Lightning pickup truck. This truck is a milestone for Ford, considering their current internal combustion engine version of the F150 is the best selling truck ever, with over 40 million on the road thus far. The electric F150 Lightning has rather large shoes to fill. One of the biggest obstacles that Ford had to overcome with the F150 Lightning was to make it easily acceptable by most truck users, in both appearance and functionality. The demands put on pickup trucks include the ability to carry a heavy payload, tow a significant amount of weight, and remain comfortable and use-able on a daily basis. Considering the numbers of the new F150 Lightning, it is apparent that the truck will be just as usable as the ICE F150. Ford claims that the F150 Lightning will be able to carry over 2200 lbs payload on a daily basis. The maximum towing capacity is rated at 10,000 lbs, which is acceptable for the vast majority of truck buyers, and puts the F150 Lightning in a competitive spot compared to internal combustion engine counterparts. As for range anxiety, consumers should not be concerned. The F150 Lightning has a range of 320 miles, which is competitive with other electric vehicles. While this is pathetically low in comparison to an internal combustion engine-equipped F150 with an extended range tank, think of it as the room for improvement in future iterations of the electric truck. In fact, range limitations in general must be improved for all electric vehicles before they can be taken seriously by all consumers. Regardless, the new F150 Lightning is an exciting new vehicle that will be a favorite of many buyers in the near future. Read More at: www.sae.org