P

SAE J1674 "Investigation & Reconstruction Practices"

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:57 pm
by brian
A recent email from SAE:
TO: ALL SAE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND RECONSTRUCTION PRACTICES CMTE MEMBERS
This is to inform you that J1674 "Early Acquisition and Preservation of Information in a Motor Vehicle Accident" has been published.
DESCRIPTION: SAE J1674 is 13 pages. Price is $61 ($48 for SAE members).
PURPOSE (per J1674): "The purpose of this SAE Recommended Practice is to offer simplified and prioritized guidelines for collecting and preserving on-scene data related to motor vehicle crashes. It is intended that these guidelines improve the effectiveness of data collection, which will assist subsequent analysis and reconstruction of a particular crash.
This document is intended to guide early data collectors whose objectives include documenting in formation related to the crash. It may be used by law enforcement personnel, safety officials, insurance adjusters and other interested parties
This document identifies categories of scene physical features that deteriorate relatively Quickly and recommends documentation task priorities. Detailed methods of collecting data are not part of this document However, some widely used methods are described in the references"
REFERENCES (per J1674):
1. Baker, J. S. and Fricke, L B , "Traffic Accident Investigation Manual: 9th Edition, Northwestern University Traffic Institute, 1986
2. Tumbas, N. S., Gilberg, A N. and Fricke, L. B, "Minimum Guidelines for Efficiently Acquiring or Preserving Basic Information in a Motor Vehicle Accident," SAE 880067
3. Rivers, R W., "Traffic Accident Investigator's Handbook: Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, IL, 1980

DISCUSSION: I was somewhat dissapointed that standard didn't address quantification of vehicle damage per the paper "Measurement protocol for quantifying vehicle damage from an energy basis point of view" by Tumbas & Smith, SAE paper 880072.
That damage protocol paper should be incorporated into some form of J standard protocol. I would venture to guess that a there will be a forthcoming J standard which addresses quantification of damage.
email received early August 2009 from SAE: