Collision Reconstruction

Courtesy of : Transportation Centre, University of Saskatchewan Multidisciplinary Accident Study Team, University of New Brunswick

Case #1• Single vehicle rollover• 1995 Mazda B3000 King Cab Pick-up• On a two-lane, two-way highway (80 km/

h limit)• Right wheels of pick-up went onto right

shoulder• Driver steered left to bring vehicle back

onto pavement• Vehicle crossed center line• Driver oversteered to the right and lost

control of vehicle• Vehicle entered ditch and rolled end over

end

• 40 year-old male driver was 20 metres further than where the truck came to rest

• Driver was fatally injured:• Punctured heart and lung• Ruptured spleen• Lacerated liver• Multiple rib fractures• BAC was 208 mg% (more than twice the

legal limit)

• Survivable crash for a restrained driver• Lots of room in occupant compartment

Case #2• Occurred at a Y-intersection of two rural

highways• Speed limit = 50 km/h at the intersection• 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix

– northeast bound– driver intended to go around the left curve

to go north at the intersection– Pontiac had the right-of-way– bush restricted vision to the left

• 1993 Toyota Previa Minivan– southbound – intended to travel straight

through the intersection– driver unfamiliar with the intersection– did not notice a speed reduction sign

(from 80 km/h to 50 km/h0 and a hield sign and failed to yield right-of-way to the Pontiac

• The two vehicles collided in the intersection

• Occupants: (Previa)– driver

• 39 year old female• restrained & airbag• minor contusions to chest

– right front passenger• 63 year old female• restrained with lap and shoulder belt• serious injuries

– lacerated right lung– fractured right ribs– fractured right fibula– contusions to right hand and right side of head

• 2nd row– middle right passenger

• 7 year old female unrestrained– lacerated upper oip– fractured right fibula– injuries were preventable if properly

restrained

• injuries were preventable if properly restrained

• 3rd row – left rear passenger

• 49 year old male unrestrained– fractured left humerous

• injuries preventable if properly restrained

• 3rd row– rear centre passenger

• 13 year old female nrestrained– contused spleen– fractured right clavicle– 3 fractured right ribs

• injuries were preventable if restrained

• Occupants (Pontiac)– driver

• 51 year old male restrained airbag– not injured

– right front passenger• 43 year old female restrained airbag

– not injured

Case #3• Single vehicle rollover on a two-lane two-

way undivided rural highway• Raining/road surface was wet• Speed limit was 80 km/h• 1993 Chev extended cab 4x4 was

northbound at approximately 110 km/h• Driver lost control as the truck went over

a set of tracks on a right curve• Truck rotated clockwise entered the right

ditch and rolled

• Occupants:– driver

• 16 year old male restrained• not injured

– middle front passenger• 16 year old male unrestrained• fractured left clavicle from striking the

instrument panel• severity of injury likely reduced if

restrained

– right front passenger• 15 year old female restrained• not injured

• Fatal collision occurred at a T-intersection of two rural highways

• 1989 Western Star tractor with an empty flatbed trailer was northbound

• 1992 Ford F150 pickup, southbound, turned left in front of the semi-trailer

• Front of the semi-trailer struck the right side of the pickup

• The two vehicles moved together into the east ditch

• The pickup was resting against the left side of the tractor, on its hood and roof

Case #4

• Occupants: (pickup)– driver

• 25 year old female unrestrained• fatally injured

– dislocated Atlanto-occipital with spinal cord trauma from the roof

– fractured ribs and sternum from the steering wheel

– lacerated liver and spleen fron the steering wheel

– multiple abrasions and contusions– injury severity likely reduced if properly

restrained– survivable crash for the driver

– front middle passenger• 1 year old female in a child seat

– brain stem trauma– coma – more than 45 days

• survived the crash even though she was closer to the impact and intrusion

– semi-trailer driver• 24 year old male unrestrained

– whiplash

Case #5• Head-on collision occurred on a two-lane

roadway on a curve and a no-passing sone• Speed lmit = 50 km/h• Eastbound 1998 Toyota Corolla was

passing a slow moving truck in a no-passing zone and at the beginning of a left curve

• Collided head-on with a 1997 Honda Civic in the westbound lane

• Both vehicles sustained frontal damage• Moderate severity crash

• Occupants: • (Toyota)

– restrained with airbag• minor injuries• contusions to abdomen, right ribs and left

wrist

• (Honda)– driver

• 24 year old female with airbag and restrained

• minor injuries

– left rear passenger• 2 year old male properly restrained• minor injuries

Case #6• T-collision occurred at an urban light

controlled intersection• 1995 Pontiac Sunfire was eastbound• 1998 Ford E350 ambulance was

southbound• Pontiac had a green light• Ambulance was responding to an

emergency call with lights and sirens on• Pontiac did not stop for the ambulance

and was struck on the left side by the front of the ambulance

• Major intrusion to left side of vehicle

• Occupants: (Pontiac)– driver

• 48 year old female restrained with airbag• hospitalized for 22 days• serious injuries

– ruptured spleen– multiple brain contusions– multiple rib fractures– fractured right and left pelvis– broken left leg

– right front passenger• 12 year old female• serious injuries

– cerebral hematoma left side– fractured left forehead– hematoma to left eye– hemorrhage to left eye– Whiplash

• (Ambulance)– ambulance driver

• ambulance driver and right front passenger both restrained

• minimal injuries

Case #7• T-collision occurred at an urban

intersection controlled by traffic lights• Moderate severity• 1998 Plymouth Neon was eastbound• 1993 Ford Escort was southbound• Plymouth Neon had a green light• Ford Escort failed to stop for the red light

and collided with the Neon in the intersection

• Occupants: (Neon)– driver

• 24 year old female had been drinking, restrained with airbag

• braked hard before crash• examined and released from hospital with

no injuries

– right front passenger• 20 year old female, restrained with airbag• had been drinking also• examined and released form hospital

– torn ligament to left knee

• (Escort)– driver

• 19 year old male restrained• minor injuries

– right front passenger• 20 year old male restrained• no injuries