1 EDR User Perspectives on Parameters & Data Accessibility: Independent Investigator/Consultant Accident Reconstruction Robert C. McElroy, Ph.D. Forensic Accident Investigations, Inc. SAE National Transportation Safety Board EDR Symposium June, 2003

SAE 2 A Personal Introduction 30+ years automotive industry –Former GM technical executive NHTSA EDR groups participation SAE & IEEE EDR Committees ( 3 ) Consulting – EDR, vehicle technology, & accident reconstruction Ph.D. – Texas A&M PPV T&B Industrial Engineering Statistics

SAE 3 Accident Reconstruction Traffic Traffic Accident Reconstruction is the effort to determine, from whatever information is available, how the accident occurred. Reconstruction is not determining why an accident happened.

SAE 4 Examples “Ouch” Impact Example #1: out & down out & down Example #2: impact & impact & final rest final rest out DownDown Final Rest Crash analysis can be simple or complex, with or without EDR.

SAE 5

6

7 Accident Reconstruction Traffic Traffic Accident Reconstruction is the effort to determine, from whatever information is available, how the accident occurred. Reconstruction is not determining why an accident happened.

SAE 8 EDR User Perspective Issues Data ownership Vehicles with downloadable data Data retrieval Data interpretation Correlation of data sources Report findings Frye hearings

SAE 9 Data Ownership ( simplified ) Owner / Driver of the vehicle owns the data Owner / Driver of the vehicle owns the data Insurance company rights to the data Insurance company rights to the data Manufacturer proprietary data Manufacturer proprietary data

SAE 10 Does Vehicle Have Data ? Age / Model Age / Model Manufacturer Manufacturer Type of impact Type of impact

SAE 11 Direct connection to EDR Direct connection to EDR OBD connector under the dash OBD connector under the dash Data Retrieval

SAE 12 Data Interpretation Type of crash Type of crash –Front / Side / Rear / Pedestrian / etc. Pre crash events Pre crash events Delta V Delta V Vehicle integrity Vehicle integrity – Electrical / Physical

SAE 13 Correlation of Data Sources EDR data EDR data Vehicle damage data Vehicle damage data Site data Site data Pre impact data Pre impact data Impact data Impact data Post impact data Post impact data

SAE 14 Technology Challenges LED and HID lamps do not have visible post impact damage profiles like “hot shock”. Drive by wire, steer by wire, brake by wire systems eliminate traditional technology which can be examined after a crash.

SAE 15 Report Findings Are analysis and results consistent ? ? ? – ABS Skid Marks – Electronic Controls – Non-Filament Lamps – Vehicle Damage

SAE 16 Frye Hearing Data admissibility in court. Data admissibility in court. –Does this technology have validity which permits it to be accepted as evidence. –NHTSA EDR Working Groups. –History and development of EDR.

17 Traffic Accident Reconstruction Practical Examination 2 Test Examples

SAE 18 Real World Example # 1 EDR or Conventional Analysis ? But I was pushing on the brake

SAE 19 Real World Example # Basic Analysis Truck Energy (1) = Car Energy (2+3+4)

SAE 20 Real World Example # 2 Vehicle 1 = Vehicles

SAE 21 EDR Needs Standardized light vehicle data set Standardized heavy vehicle data set Common connector system Common retrieval method EDR “Policy”

SAE 22 EDR “Policy” Foundation NTSB identifies need for EDR NTSB Symposiums, #1, #2, & #3 NHTSA working groups, PPV + T&B NHTSA EDR Petition Review SAE & IEEE Committees

SAE 23 EDR Policy Solution Standardize data set

SAE 24 EDR Policy Benefits To Society Save lives, Increase public confidence in transportation system, Provides inherent accountability for collision vehicles, and Reduces, to some extent, the complexity of collision analysis.

25 Questions & Comments