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Accident Reconstruction, Vehicle Mechanical, EDR “Black Box” Analysis — Consulting & Expert Witness

February 2, 2024 Consulting Areas No Comments

Dr. McElroy is a triple certified ASE Master Technician in Automobile, Medium / Heavy Truck, & Collision. He is a certified accident reconstructionist through ACTAR and was formerly employed by General Motors as a staff technical instructor. His degree areas are Industrial Safety Engineering, Industrial Education, and Industrial Technology..

He is an internationally recognized vehicle technical expert specializing in the scientific use of forensic evidence for vehicle failure analysis and to reconstruct transportation and industrial accidents since 1986.

Truck ReconstructionHis focus is to consistently provide accurate and technically precise analysis and opinions, authoritatively presented depositions, quality trial exhibits, and reliable expert trial testimony. He has participated in approximately 1,000 depositions and 100 trials.

Vehicle InspectionHe specializes in technical failure and collision analysis related to automobiles, heavy trucks, and industrial vehicles.

He was a member of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) committee dealing with collision Event Data Recorders (EDR) for both private passenger cars and trucks & busses. Dr. McElroy has worked with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) involving vehicle crash recorder technology and initiatives. He was both a member and treasurer of the IEEE P1616 Committee developing standards for Motor Vehicle Event Data Recorders. Dr. McElroy is the past Chairman of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) EDR Committee developing standards and recommended practices for EDR’s.

Florida Graphic 9To contact Dr. Robert McElroy:

  • 352-633-7696 Office

  • 561-703-3881 Cellphone

  • 561-445-0772 Office Cellphone

  • 1364 E. Schwartz Blvd, Lady Lake, FL 32159

To Email Dr. McElroy: rm@forensicaccident.com

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Office & Immediate Contact Phone Numbers

Our office phone is 352-633-7696.

If you need immediate accident and technical response please call Dr. McElroy’s cellphone 561-703-3881.

New vs Old: Automotive Trends 2023 – 2030

NEW VEHICLES

With the decade beginning in 2020 the automotive industry is dealing with four key new vehicle trends. All of these trends will be significant in all sectors of transportation including passenger cars and tractor trailers.

These trends will be relevant in collision analysis, accident reconstruction, and vehicle mechanical technology.

  1. Powertrain electrification
  2. Vehicle lightweighting
  3. Connected vehicles
  4. Autonomous vehicles

OLDER VEHICLES

In May of 2023 the average age of sedans and passenger vehicles was 13.6 and 12.5 years respectively, as reported by S&P Global Mobility, with nearly 122 million vehicles more than 12 years old.

ECONOMIC REALITY CHECK

According to Automotive News the average price of a new vehicle is nearly $48,000 with an average payment of $730 per month. High-end pickup trucks and luxury vehicles can exceed $100,000 with monthly payments in excess of $1,000.

OLD & NEW FORENSIC CONCERNS

Older vehicles absolutely require periodic maintenance. Deferred maintenance will result in vehicle performance degradation which will result in more collisions.

New vehicles have significant Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Here are some: Blind Spot Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Pedestrian Automatic Braking, Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Each and every one of these ADAS systems, with their respective components, requires proper setup and alignment. OEM Maintenance and Repair Procedures must be followed during the service procedure to be conducted by a trained technician.

If the technician does not know how to fix it, and they do not have the proper tools and equipment, that ADAS system will not work as the manufacturer designed and installed the system into the vehicle. All of these factors are relevant in accident reconstruction and post-collision vehicle analysis.

CONCLUSION

Both old and new vehicles, passenger cars to tractor trailers, have important technical issues which must be thoroughly analyzed during post-collision analysis. Because of this complexity a team approach may be necessary to optimally deal with: 1) driver, 2) vehicle, 3) environment; during A) pre-crash, B) crash, C) post-crash.

Forensic Accident. Com – Photos

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