Forensic Engineers and Consultants

Archive: Motorcycle

When Going Left is My Right

The lines on the roadway determine the right-of-way. Did you know a passing zone could limit your right-of-way?

Passing a vehicle traveling in the same direction on a two-lane roadway should be done with great caution. Completing the pass without colliding with the vehicle being passed, other vehicles approaching from the opposing direction, and without losing control and leaving the roadway are vital. There are rules to passing that people forget; some are laws, others are just common sense. Let us take a look at the laws and what sometimes slips by people that can cause an unsafe pass. State laws may differ, so consider these for South Carolina roadways. Read More

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Experience the Ride, Ride for Experience

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A lot of people own motorcycle(s). Not a lot of people have experience riding motorcycles. More people have motorcycles stored in their garages, covered with all kinds of things, than ride motorcycles. In a similar neglect, there are those people who take their motorcycle out occasionally but never really put the miles or hours on the bike. This means that most of the people that have registered motorcycles do not get a lot of “seat time”. This issue leads to collisions involving motorcycles that should not have happened for more than one reason. When it comes to collision reconstruction and investigations, “ride to live” takes on a whole different meaning. Read More

Roadway Defect Scavenger Hunt for Collision Evidence

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Not too long back, I was on the scene of a collision case where a roadway defect was blamed for the loss of control that led to a single vehicle collision which resulted in major damages and serious injury.  The collision was several years old, and the roadway had not changed over the time passed.  My assignment was to inspect the roadway in the area of the crash, document it (by photographs and 3D scanning), and identify if there was a roadway issue that potentially led to the loss of control.  What happened next was the result of going to the collision location and looking for more than what was to be expected.  These things can help the case tremendously and make a huge difference in resolution. Read More

The Pavement Tells the Story: Reading Evidence from a Motorcycle Crash

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What can be determined from a motorcycle’s skid mark and the roadway evidence it left behind? The obvious, that the motorcycle crashed; but what more? From a recent case, starting with the pre-impact skid mark, a lot was determined about the driver’s (and passenger’s) input into the crash. A single skid mark started at the beginning of the collision location, a common piece of evidence at a motorcycle crash. Taking that mark and analyzing it, several things were determined. Read More

Collision Reconstruction – Time Distance

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A common car crash is when one vehicle makes a turn or pulls out in front of another vehicle. Normally, without the accident, the vehicles only cross paths for milliseconds. When the collision occurs it’s no doubt because both vehicles try to occupy the same space at the same moment. The question is often “who is at fault?”. Read More

Why Visit the Collision Scene?

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If you are a collision investigator, a visit to the collision scene is something you want to do. No matter how much time has passed since the crash compared to the review of the case, the information that can be gleaned from walking through the area is valuable. We aren’t always given the option, but it is very beneficial, here is why. Read More

Over the Hill

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When traveling down the roadway, a lot of things must be considered. While things that can be seen are obvious concerns, things that cannot be seen pose a threat too. Blind hillcrests leave drivers guessing “what’s on the other side”. Regardless of their intentions, before drivers make a maneuver, they should pay extra attention to blind hill crests. In a collision that occurs just over a hillcrest, where one driver is attempting to continue straight as the other is attempting to make a left-hand turn, many times the investigating officer arrives at a common conclusion. Failure to yield right of way charges are often applied to the driver making the turn; however, are these charges applicable? Read More

The Pressure to Keep Rolling (Part 2)

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One of the first safety concerns for your vehicle should be your tires. The tires on your vehicle or trailer maintain contact with the roadway and assist you in getting to your destination safely. So how do you know that your tires are proper for your vehicle, are being well-maintained, and beyond the obvious threat of tire failure, why is this important to know? Read More

The Pressure to Keep Rolling – Part 1

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Over my years of law enforcement, crash investigation, and collision reconstruction I have come to become more and more particular about my tires. I have watched people purchase tires from these “used tire stores” and when I buy my tires I can understand why; quality tires are expensive. The question of how old is that tire and how was it serviced before it ended up for sale is a huge concern. Read More

Why investigators should have “Scaled Diagrams” of scenes?

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When it comes to diagramming a crash scene, there are several methods to accomplish the task. Forensic Mapping, (locating, positioning, and documenting the evidence of a collision scene to scale) is essential to having the answers to the questions “Who, What, Where, When, and Why?”. Photographs do a great job showing what the investigators saw post collision; yet they lack scale and the ability to describe pre-collision movement. Having a computer aided diagram (CAD) of the collision scene goes much further than the pictures can; here is why.

basic intersectionA scale diagram gives the full overview of a collision scene from either a 2D or 3D point of view. Being able to see how things lined up, how they came together and how they parted helps explain the events within a crash. When a scene can be viewed from top down or any angle, that helps relay the facts. The investigator, judge, or jury will get Read More

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