1. What is Accident Reconstruction?
Accident Reconstruction is a scientific attempt to determine how a traffic accident occurred. It is a procedure by which the circumstances of a traffic collision are proven or estimated by working backward from the resulting damage and evidence. For example, the length of skidmarks, final resting positions of vehicles involved in the crash, and the amount of crush damage to the automobiles can be used to determine, or at least approximate, the speeds and/or directions of travel of the vehicles before the collision. An Accident Reconstructionist is a person specially trained in using these procedures to determine the collision circumstances. The Reconstructionist is an expert witness usually retained by either the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, who can be of great benefit in cases where fault for a collision is in dispute. Some police agencies have their own personnel trained in accident reconstruction who will be assigned to prepare independent reconstruction reports about particularly severe traffic collisions. Do not assume, however, that the police officer who prepared your accident report is a qualified expert. Most of the time, he is not.

2. What is an Automobile "Black Box"?
Starting early-to-mid 90s recordable air bag modules (so called “black boxes”) have been installed in select GM vehicles. SDM, Sensing and Diagnostic Module, is the name given to air bag modules used in General Motors vehicles. Since 1998, recordable air bag modules have been installed in select Ford vehicles. RCM, Restraint Control Module, is the name given to air bag modules used in Ford vehicles.

A. Zhukov, Ph.D. & Associates is offering retrieval of data stored in the “black box” using Vetronix Crash Data Retrieval Tool (CDR Tool). The CDR Tool is capable of harvesting information from vehicle’s SDM and RCM. The device records data on a laptop PC which could later be transferred to any other device, if needed. Recorded data depends on vehicle make, model and year. The following data is typical of what is found on a newer GM vehicle:

• Vehicle speed ( 5 seconds before impact )
• Engine speed ( 5 seconds before impact )
• Brake status ( 5 seconds before impact )
• Throttle position ( 5 seconds before impact )
• State of driver's seat belt switch (On/Off)
• Passenger's air bag enabled or disabled state (On/Off)
• SIR Warning Lamp status (On/Off)
• Time from vehicle impact to air bag deployment
• Ignition cycle count at event time
• Ignition cycle count at investigation
• Maximum delta-V for non-deployment event
• delta-V vs. time for frontal air bag deployment event
• Time from vehicle impact to time of maximum delta-V