Crashworthiness refers to the ability of a vehicle or structure to protect its occupants from injury during a collision. Today’s vehicles have an array of increasingly complex features designed to avoid crashes and prevent injuries when crashes do occur. Systems such as Electronic Stability Control, Lane Departure Warning, Electronic Throttle Control, seatbelt pretensioners, energy absorbing structures, and advanced airbags were all developed to protect vehicle occupants. What happens when one of these systems fails to work properly?
These and the other advanced systems require an engineer with direct experience in the design, development, and manufacture of today’s complex vehicles. The Vehicle Engineering Experts at Robson Forensic all have this experience and are capable and ready to investigate any Vehicle Crashworthiness defect claim. We use our diverse industry experience and advanced tools of the trade such as Electronic Data Record readers, Total Station scene mapping hardware, and diagnostic equipment to determine the cause of a crash or serious injury related to vehicle crashworthiness claims. Our industry experience goes beyond forming opinions of what caused the injury, and into the inner workings of the companies themselves, which will help you with discovery and deposition preparation.
Our Vehicle Engineering Experts have experience in a wide variety of Automotive Engineering areas, from the systems mentioned above to the more basic foundations of a vehicle like frames and unibody structures, steering and suspension, brake, powertrain, body, and interior systems. We also have experience in repair procedures, dealer to manufacturer interface, and vehicle manufacturing.
Our Vehicle Engineering Experts are listed to the right, please click on an expert to view their profile and CV. You may also contact any of our experts directly to find the most appropriate expert for your case.
- Hybrid Vehicle Safety - Expert Introduction to Hybrid Vehicle Systems
In 2012 434,000 hybrid/electric vehicles including passenger cars, SUVs and pickup trucks were sold in U.S. These vehicles incorporate a variety of configurations to combine a conventional combustion engine with an electric motor paired with a rechargeable battery to deliver enhanced performance, superior fuel economy and ultra low emissions.
Despite the environmental advantages associated with hybrid vehicles, they may present unique safety concerns not associated with conventional vehicles. Key areas of concern include:
- Operating Safety
- Computer Controlled Transmission
- Batteries
- Brakes
- Crashworthiness
- Post Crash Safety
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- Side Impact Vehicle Crashworthiness - Expert Introduction
Providing protection for vehicle occupants in side impact collisions presents a challenge to vehicle engineers. Compared with frontal impacts, there is a relatively
shallow crumple zone for deformation between the occupants and the closest vehicle side-structure.
A stiff side and roof structure combine to protect the occupant from injury by maintaining survival space, and dissipating the force of the collision away from the occupant. Safety cage designs, such as those used by Volvo, Mercedes, and Subaru for decades, are the
forefront of side impact occupant protection.
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- Interpreting EDR Data & Recognizing Errors
Many reconstructionists prefer to rely on EDR data to provide an unbiased measure of pre-impact actions and impact speeds. However, there are times that EDR information should not be relied upon, or requires in depth interpretation, such as when:
- The EDR data contradicts physical evidence
- The data is out of the common driving range (low or high)
- There is a discontinuity in the data (flat lines, spikes, etc.)
- Events such as multiple impacts, airborne, rollover, or narrow objects collisions
- The ownership of the data is disputed or the chain of evidence is suspect
When a vehicle impacts multiple objects the timing of the recorded events can be flawed or out of sequence, as data is continually overwritten. Impacts that compromise the electrical system may yield bad data. Data in the EDR comes from multiple systems, this data can be out of sync or wrong compared to Airbag Control Module's timing circuit and accelerometer.
EDR components can corrode over time. Also data can be overwritten or plain wrong if the download is performed improperly. Collisions and vehicle maneuvers that alter the wheels speed relative to the actual vehicle speed can yield misleading data. This can occur when the vehicle goes airborne, loses or locks-up a wheel, rolls over or is cut in half. Narrow and light weight object impacts are often either not recorded or the data is flawed. The duration of the impact also may exceed the recording threshold of the EDR.
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- Vehicle Restraint Systems 101
Restraint systems and the vehicle structure are both key elements to vehicle crashworthiness. If there is little to no intrusion into the occupant area, the best
way to limit injuries is to restrain the occupants as quickly as possible.
During a collision, a vehicle will rapidly change direction and/or speed. During this “crash pulse”, occupants will continue moving at the pre-impact direction and speed. The purpose of restraint systems are to (1)Slow the occupant over the longest possible time and (2)Distribute the crash forces over the largest area possible.
It is the deceleration forces (loads) that cause injuries.
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- Trailer Collapse - Expert Tests Structure with Cardboard Analog
Throughout her career in design and development, Vehicle Engineer Erin Shipp, P.E. has used simple cardboard analogs to understand structures and how they fail. When she was retained for a case involving a Semi-Trailer that collapsed under the load of a forklift, she used a cardboard analog to simulate the failure.
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- An Introduction to Electronic Stability Control
Presentation developed by the automotive engineers at Robson Forensic, provides an overview on Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems, including information on how ESC systems work, their abilities and limitations.
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- Robson Forensic Brochure
Robson Forensic has been providing high quality and professional forensic engineering, architectural, scientific and
investigative services throughout the United States since 1987. Robson Forensic provides expertise in a broad range of forensic and technical disciplines.
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