Location of Training:        

Dates:                                 

Registration/Check-in:    

Recommended Hotel:       TBA

Directions:                           Please use www.mapquest.com 

Course Description

Vehicle crush is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted subjects in the collision reconstruction profession. The idea behind determining speeds from crush has always been with regard to determining speed change of automobiles in controlled crash testing environments. This speed change or Delta V is compared to injury causation from which many automotive safety standards are derived. We have adopted these methods of evaluating crush use in criminal and civil legal proceedings with much skepticism.

Although determining the speed of an automobile from crush is important, crush analysis has so many more applications that are just as valuable. Crush analysis may be valuable in areas such as, determining principle direction of force, maximum engagement, occupant kinematics, vehicle direction of travel and much more.

Estimating speeds from crush are subject to heavy scrutiny and are suspect to over or underestimation if proper techniques are not used. This course is designed to illustrate the proper techniques and protocols for crush analysis. Special measuring techniques will be discussed and practiced. Many calculations will be reviewed including but not limited to, Delta V, Principle Direction of Force and Centroid of Damage.

Entry Level Standards:

Students should have completed at minimum the advanced crash investigation or reconstruction and have good math skills with a basic understanding of energy and speed. Students will also need to have the ability to draw scaled diagrams based upon field measurements of accident scenes and vehicle crush.

Textbooks:

• None required for class

Attendees should have the following tools in their possession for attending this course:

• Traffic Template (Blue Blitz)
• Protractor (Required)
• Scientific Calculator
• 5mm-7mm lead pencil, Comparable Eraser
• 25’ Steel Tape Measure

Reference:

• Fundamentals of Traffic Crash Reconstruction by Daily - Shigemura - Daily
• Crash III User’s Manual
• Win Crash Manual
• Crush Analysis, Protocols and Techniques by Bobby Jones
• Associated Class Handouts
• Detailed list included in handouts

Course Contents:

• Review of Basics of Crush Protocol
• Crash III Protocol and Procedure Review
• Classic Crush Documentation Methods
• Computer Diagramming
• Determining Principle Direction of Force Angles (PDOF)
• Determining Weights
• Determining Crush Stiffness Values
• Relating PDOF to Occupant Kinematics
• Review of Delta V v. Equivalent Barrier Speed
• Single Vehicle Crash Crush Analysis
• Multi Vehicle Collision Crush Analysis
• Coefficient of Restitution
• Errors
• Practical Exercise Discussion
• Software and Application
• Special Topics Discussion

ACTER CEUs for this course are being sought at this time. 

It is anticipated that 30 CEUs will be awarded.

Asst. Chief Bobby E. Jones, Jr.

Instructor:  Assistant Chief Bobby E. Jones, Jr. Knox County Sheriffs Department, Knoxville, TN, ACTAR #678, is an accredited accident reconstructionist with over 20 years of FULL TIME experience in accident reconstruction and formerly worked with the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By 1988, he had investigated well over 2,500 motor vehicle collisions. Chief Jones has received multiple degrees in Criminal Justice and Engineering and studied surveying as part of his minor for his engineering degree. His on-the-job experience combined with his formal training in surveying has made him one of the best forensic mapping specialists in the country.