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.
- Powertrain electrification
- Vehicle lightweighting
- Connected vehicles
- 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.
