Introduction
Feature Article: Modified Crash Pulse and Injury - a clear link
Research: SUVs and Rollovers
In the News
ARC Network Bookstore
The Arc Network Crash Test Update!
FARO 2001 Spring Conference
Vehicle Specs Online
Welcome New Members
Events
New Discussion Forum
Accident Reconstruction Dictionary
Test Your Skill
About the ARC Network

INTRODUCTION

The ARC Network has just surpassed the number of hits per month by a landslide! During the month of January we registered 344,000 hits! That is an average of over 11,000 hits per DAY. This organization is truly catching on and people all over the accident reconstruction industry are seeing the value the ARC Network offers.

You have probably noticed a few new areas of the site this month. We have added an online vehicle stats area, a new research section, a new discussion forum and we completely redesigned the homepage of the site. These additions and enhancements have brought very nice feedback e-mails from our visitors.

Here is what they are saying...

 

"I would like to let you know how important and useful the information ARC's Network has helped me and learning students in the Law Enforcement field during there basic accident investigation courses. I have five more classes scheduled so far this year. I would like to continue keeping your influence in the Eastern Section of Virginia." "Just wanted to give "two thumbs up" for the new ARC home page. Great opening! Pleasing to the eye! Ease of use! Great page organization for a top notch organization. I'll keep my membership for quite some time. Thanks!" "I am one step away from becoming a Reconstructionist. I was advised of this site by my current instructor. Excellent site." "I am a Police Officer here in Winnipeg, Mb,Canada and am a Collision Reconstructionist in the Traffic Division. I first found your web site via search of the Internet while researching a report. I have enjoyed and have come to really appreciate your site and have used information you have presented on several occasions. Keep up the excellent work."

The ARC Network also had the opportunity to attend the Lawyers and Judges conference in Anaheim, California this past weekend. It is always a pleasure to meet and speak with members of the network and talk about how the site is working for them and how they are using the site. The ARC Network would like to thank Lawyers and Judges for the courtesy they extended to us as exhibitors at their conference.

Thank you again for supporting the ARC Network. Please read on for the rest of the newsletter....

Back to Top

MODIFIED CRASH PULSE AND INJURY - A CLEAR LINK

E. Brell, M. Veidt and W. Daniel
Queensland University

The notion of varying a vehicle's crash impulse profile from standard has implications in tortiuous injury claims. The general principle here is that a duty of care is owed to maintain the crashworthiness of the vehicle so as not to exacerbate injury to occupants in affected vehicles.

Variations in crash impulse profile come about as a result of fitment of brush bars, front recovery winches or even poor panel shop repairs, to mention but a few.

Legislation generally prohibits such tampering with crumple zone performance. However, up until now it has been difficult to establish a scientific link between change in crumple profile and increased injury. This is because of the complexities involved.

Addressing these complexities, this paper introduces a distance of indifference within a vehicle, of an occupant's body part and its corresponding impact point, where injury of this body part is the same for both original and varied crumple profile.

Having established this indifference point, injury comparison is simplified to considering the actual distance of an occupant's body part from its internal collision point and comparing the velocity differential existing at that point.

An engineering practitioner supporting or defending a litigation that involves enhanced injury on account of modification of vehicle from standard will find a resource here if such modification alters the crash response characteristics of the vehicle.

Two crumple zones of equal energy but different profiles are compared in terms of injury risk.

###

This is the abstract of their paper. For further review please contact:

Edward Brell, Dr. Martin Veidt and Dr. Bill Daniel through the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University, by email brell@mech.uq.edu.au, veidt@mech.uq.edu.au, and bill@mech.uq.edu.au

Back to Top

NEW RESEARCH:

The ARC Network has recently added a new topic to the research directory, SUV's and Rollovers. It seems everywhere you read there is an article commenting on the safety of SUV's. With each article you will almost always read about the rollover potential. However, SUV's continue to dominate the roads and new car sales. Now you can decide for yourself. Visit the ARC Network's new section on SUV's and Rollover and you will find the latest news, articles, discussion groups, and crash test reviews.

SUV Safety and Rollovers

Back to Top

IN THE NEWS

In conjunction with our new research section on SUV's and Rollovers, here are a few recent news articles for your review.

 

New Device to Prevent SUV Rollovers Now on the Market LAS VEGAS--(AutomotiveWire)--Jan. 16, 2001--A local company claims it has the answer to a highway safety dilemma that is bedeviling the nation. It has developed a device that may cure the sometimes fatal rollover tendency of SUVs, pickup trucks and vans. Amtech Corp. is marketing the RollGard(TM), an add-on stabilizer for the suspension that helps prevent leaning in a turn. The device was developed using motor racing technology by Peter Bryant, a veteran automotive engineer and consultant to Amtech who learned his trade first as an engineer in Formula 1, Indy car and Can-Am road racing. "Almost the only way you can roll one of these vehicles over with our device in play is to 'trip' it by sliding into a log or a rock or a high curb," Bryant said. "Most of the accidents that are baffling auto manufacturers and safety officials originate from common maneuvers on the street or highway without hitting any object at all. "There are 80 million SUVs and light trucks in use today, and they are all subject to the same rollover tendencies. We believe RollGard will help prevent these accidents and make the ride smoother and safer, even for drivers who don't know how close they routinely come to having an accident." The typical SUV rollover accident usually happens during one of two maneuvers at speeds of 35 mph and more, Bryant said. In the first instance, a driver is negotiating a high-speed curve and suddenly turns in the opposite direction, either reacting to an emergency or in response to a sharp bend in the road. In the second instance, a driver changes lanes too quickly. Often the driver has to change lanes abruptly to avoid rear-ending the car he is following. Read the full article

For all the news in accident reconstruction and automotive safety please visit the News and Information section of the ARC Network.

Back to Top

ARC NETWORK BOOKSTORE

The ARC Network is pleased to announce it has partnered with Lawyers and Judges Publishing Company to provide their entire catalog of books and products in the ARC Network bookstore. The ARC Network and Lawyers and Judges have been in conversation for a couple of months determining the best way to facilitate this endeavor. Currently, the ARC Network bookstore will stay exactly the same because we have just begun to redesign it, but look for a new layout in the coming months.

In the bookstore we will have an easy-to-navigate interface directing you to the newest and most respected forensic books on the market today. You will be able to locate books by title, author and subject. There will also be a form to give a quick review of the book and to post your own evaluation. As with everything in the ARC Network, your feedback is very important to us. Let us know what you would like to see in the bookstore and how you would like the information presented. Look for a new look and feel to the bookstore in the next month or two.

Back to Top

THE ARC NETWORK CRASH TEST UPDATE!

Unfortunately we still do not have a solid date for the ARC Network Crash Test. However, we can tell you that it is TENTATIVELY scheduled for June 8-10, 2001. We are doing everything in our power to try and make our first crash test perfect. We have had some really good feedback from our visitors and members and we are trying to accommodate them.

Since we decided to postpone the crash test, only good things have happened. General Motors is going to participate and provide vehicles so we can fully utilize and test the CDR from Vetronix, the seminar and training will be three days instead of two, and we will be able to reduce the price of attendance. There are a few other very exciting things with the crash test but those will not be confirmed until next week. Everybody who signs the ARC Network guest book will be notified immediately when we have confirmation.

Reserve your spot today

We have also received calls regarding early registration. The old date for early registration was February 15, 2001. Since we have not confirmed the new date of the crash we have not decided on the "new" early registration cut-off date.

We are very excited to see how well the crash test and seminar has developed. To reserve a spot please click here. Remember, space is limited, early registration saves you money and the registration fee is refundable (please read the cancellation policy)

All ARC Network members will receive a discount to attend this crash test. For information on becoming a member of the ARC Network please visit the Membership Section

For any additional questions please e-mail the ARC Network at arc@accidentreconstruction.com

Back to Top

F.A.R.O. 2001 SPRING CONFERENCE

Forensic Accident Reconstructionists of Oregon, the premier traffic collision non-profit association of Oregon, is proud to announce the details of its 2001 Spring Conference. Whether you are an experienced reconstructionist or a person trying to learn accident investigation skills, you won.t want to miss this important training opportunity!

This conference will run two instructional tracks simultaneously in order to benefit the varied skill levels of conference attendees. John Hunter, retired Sergeant of the Washington State Patrol MAIT Team, will provide in-depth training on kinetic energy analysis for traffic collisions. His instruction will cover kinetic energy theory, crush calculations based on kinetic energy, and all the fine details of using energy analysis as a reconstruction tool.

Robert Stearns, FARO President, will present a course of study on Collision Investigation for claims personnel. This course will be especially helpful for attorneys, investigators, and insurance claims professionals. It will cover basic physics and dynamics, physical evidence at accident scenes, occupant kinematics, identification and meaning of vehicle damage, basic speed estimation techniques, and the use of experts.

For more information visit FARO's Web Site

 

The ARC Network helps Non Profit Accident Reconstruction and Engineering Organizations develop a presence on the Internet and promote their organization. For more information on how your organization can become a part of the ARC Network please visit Organizations Section

Back to Top

VEHICLE SPECS ONLINE

The ARC Network is very pleased to offer our users a free web-based application to retrieve online vehicle specifications. The database that pulls the information is provided by the Canadian Government, and has been converted to run on the ARC Network by Visual Statement programmers. The accuracy of this database has been relied upon by professional accident reconstructionists for years. We go through great measures to update and check for accuracy of the database. The database will be updated each year, however, if you do come across any errors please e-mail them to us so we can include it in our updates at arc@accidentreconstruction.com

Free Vehicle Specs Database

 

"At Visual Statement we are very pleased to be working with the number one web site for accident investigators and reconstructionists. This is truly one stop shopping for the industry, in terms of products, research, and services. The proof of the success of this site is the numbers of professionals that are visiting, which is growing daily. Congratulations on an excellent job!"

Back to Top

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The ARC Network currently has over 165 members and continues to grow each month. We would like to thank all of our members for their support. Following are the newest members (and those returning for a second year) to the ARC Network:

PLATINUM MEMBERS

Daniel Vomhof - California

Worley Jones - California

Vliet & O'Neill - Connecticut : Web Site Coming Soon

 

GOLD MEMBERS

Wilson Hayes - Oregon

 

BASIC MEMBERS

Edward Robinson - Alabama

Terry Sewell - Arizona

Kerry Berg - California

Daniel Trudell - California

D. Harvey West - Canada

Gerald Glover - Canada

George Ruotolo - Florida

Joseph Abal - Florida

Jeffrey Hyatt - Georgia

Jeffrey Livers - Kentucky

Richard Williams - Louisiana

Lance Cook - Michigan

Mark Mitchell - New Hampshire

Robert Klingen - New Jersey

Ronald Feder - New Mexico

Mark Derry - Pennsylvania

Ray Worner - Pennsylvania

Duane Ahrens - Washington

MEMBERSHIP

Become a member of the fastest growing online community developed exclusively for the industry of Accident Reconstruction. Each membership package is tailored to fit your needs and your budget. With over 340,000 hits to this site each month you can't afford not to participate in this professional organization.

"We needed to locate an expert quickly,
we were able to do so thanks to your site."
Public Defender, California

When you evaluate all the promotion and service we provide to our members, you will quickly see the benefits of becoming a member. Finally, when you compare our prices to that of other web companies, print advertising and distribution lists you realize that the membership packages offered by the ARC Network are very competitive and a great value.

Membership Section

Expert Directory

Back to Top

EVENTS

The ARC Network provides an easy way to view many of the seminars, conferences and crash tests you may wish to attend. Below is an overview of coming events. Please visit the ARC Network Events Calendar for a complete listing with additional information.

 

SCARS - South Carolina Association of Reconstruction Specialists 3rd Annual Southeastern Collision Reconstruction Conference March 11-15, 2001 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Myrtle Beach Martinique) For more information on the conference, please contact us at SCAccident@aol.com

At Scene Traffic Crash/Traffic Homicide Investigation
February 26 - March 9, 2001
Tampa, FL
For more information visit IPTM www.iptm.org

SAE World Congress and Exposition
March 5-8, 2001
Detroit, MI
For more information visit SAE www.sae.org.

ACTAR Examination
Friday March 9, 2001
Detroit, MI
Registration cutoff 2/23/01
For more information visit ACTAR

Motorcycle Accident Reconstruction (IPTM)
March 12-16, 2001
Schuamburg, Illinois (Chicago Suburban Area)
For more information visit NorthEast Multi Regional Training

Pedestrian/Bike Crash Investigation
March 19-23, 2001
Melbourne, FL
For more information visit IPTM www.iptm.org

FARO 2001 Spring Conference
March 23, 2001
Salem, OR
For more information visit FARO's Web site

Any event you would like to add (FREE OF CHARGE) that is not listed in our Events Calendar please e-mail the ARC Network at arc@accidentreconstruction.com

Back to Top

NEW DISCUSSION FORUM

It is time again to close out the previous discussion forum and begin a new one. All previous discussion forums are hosted on the ARC Network for you to use as a resource. We do this periodically as the discussion threads grow and the page takes longer to load. The ARC Network Discussion Forum is now getting new questions and threaded discussions almost every day!

The Discussion Forum is viewed and used by experts all over the world. There is no cost to post questions to the Forum; we only ask that the questions pertain to the accident reconstruction industry.

Discussion Forum

Back to Top

ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION DICTIONARY

The ARC Network has recently updated the Accident Reconstruction Dictionary. We host an online dictionary of terms used in the accident reconstruction industry. This dictionary is widely used by different individuals ranging from court reporters to accident reconstruction experts. We try to update and add to the dictionary on a timely basis. Again, this dictionary is free to use as a resource on the ARC Network.

The Accident Reconstruction Dictionary is located the Education Section

Accident Reconstruction Dictionary

Back to Top

TEST YOUR SKILL

The ARC Network is currently redesigning the layout and usability of the Test Your Skill section. Because of its popularity, we are incorporating it as a section of the ARC Network web site as well as a section in the Newsletter. The new section should be completed in the next couple months. In the meantime we would your feedback on what types of questions you would like to see posted and solved in this section.

Please e-mail them to the ARC Network at: arc@accidentreconstruction.com

Test Your Skill

All Newsletters are archived online.

The ARC Network is designed to save one of the most valued commodities: time. The resources of the ARC Network are available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Best of all, the ARC Network is free. Please let us know what you would like to see in the site and how we could make it more valuable to you. After all there is no ARC Network without YOU. Thank you for your time,

The Entire Staff of the ARC Network.
www.accidentreconstruction.com
arc@accidentreconstruction.com

ABOUT THE ARC NETWORK

The ARC Network stands for Accident Reconstruction Communications Network. We are a web-based professional organization specifically for accident reconstruction and accident investigation. Located on the Internet at www.AccidentReconstruction.com, the ARC Network provides its users with a multitude of communication and research tools that aid in the efficiency and effectiveness of daily case requirements.

The ARC Network is created as a "community" which has a look, feel and functionality that individuals and businesses within the industry of accident reconstruction can immediately recognize. Equally important, it is simple, easy to use, and has a low barrier to entry, which is, no new hardware, proprietary software, or other up-front costs. The ARC Network allows users to enter the web site specifically designed for them and their industry and retrieve the information they want as quickly as possible.

Along with daily industry news, an events calendar, a comprehensive research directory, crash test data, a bookstore, a training section and an interactive online discussion forum, the ARC Network also maintains a professional accident reconstruction expert directory. Attorneys, insurance agencies and other professional companies use the expert directory to locate and retain qualified experts.

You will see the benefit of having one Internet web site that you can visit to obtain the information you need.

ADVERTISING WITH THE ARC NETWORK

The ARC Network offers advertising solutions to anyone interested in promoting their product or service to the industry of Accident Reconstruction. We have set our prices to accommodate all budgets starting from just $50 per year.

The ARC Network is currently recording over 340,000 hits to the site each month.
Now is the time to advertise your product or service in the ARC Network.

For more information please visit our Advertising Section or email arc@accidentreconstruction.com.