National Association of Professional Accident Reconstruction Specialists

Members get access to the Reference Library of technical papers and crash related reference materials, and a NAPARS exclusive: all back-issues of Accident Reconstruction Journal and Accident Investigation Quarterly, and more! Click Join for more details!   

         

 Accident Reconstruction Journal update, 05 Dec 2023: Issue 33(6), #198 is out.

 NAPARS News update, 04 November 2023: The fourth newsletter this year is out!

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Upcoming events

    • 18 Mar 2024
    • 08:00
    • 22 Mar 2024
    • 17:00
    • Michael Briggs Public Safety Building, 405 Valley St, Manchester NH 03103
    • 7
    Register

    Advanced Collision Reconstruction with CDR Applications


    This class is intended for reconstructionists who want to leverage the information contained in typical EDR reports. One need not be an EDR-analyst, or even be particularly familiar with EDR data, but those skills and familiarity with basic crash analysis techniques will improve the value of the class. The room is limited to 26 in-person seats, though online Virtual-attendance is also available via Zoom (same price).


    WHEN: March 18  to March 22, 2024

    WHERE: Michael Briggs Public Safety Building, 405 Valley St, Manchester NH 03103

    HOST: Manchester, NH Police department

    INSTRUCTOR: Greg Russell

    COST:

       $600 for NAPARS members (log into the website to access this reduced rate)

       $750 for non-members (and a complimentary membership if you are so inclined)

    TOPICS:
       Overview of pre-crash and crash-pulse data
       Calculating Δv from acceleration data
       Calculating impulse Δv from x/y Δv data
       Calculating pdof from x/y Δv data
       Adjusting x axis Δv to represent impulse Δv
       Single Equation Approach to 360˚Momentum Analysis
       Calculating Impact & Post Impact Velocities from CDR data (Δv & pdof)
       Reconciling Pre-Crash and Post-Crash CDR data

       Analyzing CDR data in the context of your reconstruction


    All examples used in class are derived from real world crashes.

    Recommend Course Prerequisite: Collision Reconstruction
    Successful Completion of CDR Analyst Course (This is not a replacement for a CDR analyst course)

    Direct questions about the class to Greg: c.g.russell@me.com, 443-889-3657

    Direct questions about registration to Wade: admin@NAPARS.org, 603-923-8077


    Hotels/Meals will be the responsibility of attendees.

    ACTAR:

    This class has in the past been approved for ACTAR CEUS, and we will apply for them. I'll update this listing when we get word.

    • 19 Mar 2024
    • 13:00 - 15:00
    • Online, Zoom

    NAPARS members get a 50-Euro discount, so the class is just 100€. 

    To register just visit:

    https://analyzer.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3D-Photo.-with-Agisoft-1.pdf

    • 29 Mar 2024
    • 12:00 - 14:00
    • Worldwide via Zoom
    • 1351
    Register
    Critical Speed Yaw Analysis, 2 hours with Wade Bartlett

    DATE: Friday, 29 March 2024
    TIME: 12 noon - 2 pm EDT (GMT-4)
    COST: Free for NAPARS member;  $5 for non-members
    LOCATION: Worldwide Via Zoom
    ACTAR: This event has been approved by ACTAR for 2 CEUs. Signing in with i-Attend during the show will be required, so get i-Attend on your phone in advance, per the ACTAR info page here: https://actar.org/ceu/earning

    Registered attendees will be able to request an attendance certificate during the show.

    SUMMARY:

    Curved tire marks are often found at crash scenes. The Critical Speed Yaw analysis is both a loved and hated technique because it is so easy to apply and has a long history showing reliability when used correctly (LOVE IT!), but it is also really easy to misapply (HATE IT!). Topics will include: the theory behind the math, including the assumptions that are baked into it; some of the references; testing over the years; Suggestions for making the measurements; Documentation; Some examples.

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    The ambitious viewer might want to look over a few of the citations we'll likely mention, including:

    SAE 890635, Reveley

    SAE 940723, Lambourn

    ARJ Jan/Feb 95, Vol.7(1), Shelton

    SAE 970957, Brach

    SAE 970955, Bellion

    SAE 2004-01-1187, MacInnis

    Grass and Gravel Yaw Tests, Bartlett & Wright; 1st ITAI–EVU Conf, Hinckley UK, ‘09

    CSY Tests w/ ABS & ESC on Pavement, Gravel, and Grass, Bartlett & Wright; ARJ 18(3), May/June 2008

    Daily, Shigemura, Daily, Fundamentals of Traffic Crash Reconstruction, chapter 13

    Traffic Crash Reconstruction, NUCPS, Lynn Fricke, Chapter 11

    • 06 Apr 2024
    • 08:00 - 17:00 (CDT)
    • Embassy Suites 1815 South Meridian Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    ACTAR Prep Classes

    Updated in 2021 to include ACTAR's new scenario-based problems!

    The ACTAR prep class will help the trained reconstructionist pass the ACTAR exam.

    Topics covered in this 2-day class include:

    Scenario-Based Problems
    Tire-size based questions
    Basic EDR questions
    Airborne Equations and Problems
    Kinetic Energy Equations and Problems
    Momentum Equations and Problems
    Time-Distance Equations and Problems
    Vehicle Evidence/Roadway Evidence Questions

    Successfully Completing the afternoon (departure/approach angles, PDOF and more).

    To register, please click the link below which will take you to Andy's Registration page.

      • 08 Apr 2024
      • 08:00 (CDT)
      • 12 Apr 2024
      • 14:00 (CDT)
      • Embassy Suites 1815 S. Meridian Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73108
      • 78
      Register

      CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF NAPARS 1984 - 2024

      SYMPOSIUM ON EDR RESEARCH AND TRAINING

      Dates:  08 April 2024 through 12 April 2024

      Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

      Facility:  Embassy Suites 1815 S. Meridian Oklahoma City, Ok.

      Cost: $499.00/person

      Don't miss the opportunity to receive EDR Training from some of the world's best known EDR specialists for FIVE days at the lowest rate available for this type training.

      Format:  The Symposium on EDR Research and Training will include updates and training regarding EDR's on cars, light trucks, motorcycles and heavy vehicles.

      Car and Light Truck EDR speakers:

      • Brad Muir of Crash Data Specialists
      • Wes Vandiver of Berla
      • Kent Boots of Kent E. Boots & Associates
      • Nick Manz of Toyota
      • Don Floyd of General Motors
      • Tommy Beetham of General Motors
      • Andy Rich of Rich Consulting LLC
      • Richard Ruth of Ruth Consulting
      • Bill Rose of Bosch
      • Greg Russell of Crash Data Specialists

      Motorcycle EDR speakers:

      • Ed Fatzinger of Momentum Engineering
      • Andre Doria of Compass Kinetics

      Heavy Vehicle EDR speakers:

      • Dave Plant of D.P. Plant & Associates (Testing and Support)
      • Greg Wilcoxson of Wilcoxson Consulting LLC
      • Matthew DiSogra of Delta V
      • Brad Higgins of Mecanica Scientific Services Corp. 
      • Wes Grimes of Mecanica Scientific Services Corp (Testing and Support)
      • Steve Anderson of The Forensic Training Group
      • James Loftis of The Forensic Training Group

      Schedule:

      The cost of the Symposium includes lunch each day and breaks.

      Limited seating is available so reserve your seat today.

      Our primary hotel is probably booked: Embassy Suites 1815 S. Meridian in Oklahoma City, OK. is full at this time.

      https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=OKCATHX&groupCode=CHHNAP&arrivaldate=2024-04-07&departuredate=2024-04-12&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT

      Our overflow hotel is the Hampton Inns and Suites, located across the street from the Embassy Suites at 4333 SW 15th Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73108. The hotel offers free shuttle service from Will Rogers World Airport from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm each day. Rates are set at $104.00/night for a king single and $114.00/night for a queen double. Please click on the link below to reserve your room. 

      Napars

      • 08 Apr 2024
      • 13:00 - 15:00
      • Online, Zoom

      NAPARS members get a 50-Euro discount, so the class is just 100€. 

      Presented April 8, 15, 22, and 29th.

      To register just visit:

      https://analyzer.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BasicCourseEN.pdf


      • 15 Apr 2024
      • 13:00 - 15:00
      • Online, Zoom

      NAPARS members get a 50-Euro discount, so the class is just 100€. 

      Presented April 8, 15, 22, and 29th.

      To register just visit:

      https://analyzer.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BasicCourseEN.pdf


      • 22 Apr 2024
      • 13:00 - 15:00
      • Online, Zoom

      NAPARS members get a 50-Euro discount, so the class is just 100€. 

      Presented April 8, 15, 22, and 29th.

      To register just visit:

      https://analyzer.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BasicCourseEN.pdf


      • 26 Apr 2024
      • 12:00 - 14:00
      • Worldwide via Zoom
      • 1437
      Register
      ATV Crash Analysis, 2 Hours with Mark D. Wright

      DATE: Friday, 26 April 2024
      TIME: 12 noon - 2 pm EDT (GMT-4)
      COST: Free for NAPARS member;  $5 for non-members
      LOCATION: Worldwide Via Zoom
      ACTAR: This event has been approved for 2 CEUs by ACTAR. You will need to sign in with i-Attend during the show will be required, so get i-Attend on your phone in advance, per the ACTAR info page here: https://actar.org/ceu/earning


      Registered attendees will be able to request an attendance certificate during the show.

      SUMMARY:

      ATVs may follow the same physical laws as cars, but their unique configurations and environments mean their crash scenes deserve special attention. This presentation will discuss test data useful to the crash analyst in determining speed, including

      • Heavy Braking
      • Rolling Friction
      • Rollovers Analysis
      • Airborne Analysis
      • 2 Vehicle Collisions
      • ATV Gate Collision

      OUR SPEAKER:
      Mark Wright retired from Ontario Provincial Police Retired OPP after 38 years in law enforcement. He served as the OPP Provincial Collision Reconstruction Coordinator
      for 21 years. He holds ACTAR 1312 (since 2002), and has served 19 years on the ACTAR BoD. He has been involved in ATV collision research for more than 20 years.

      • 29 Apr 2024
      • 13:00 - 15:00
      • Online, Zoom

      NAPARS members get a 50-Euro discount, so the class is just 100€. 

      Presented April 8, 15, 22, and 29th.

      To register just visit:

      https://analyzer.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BasicCourseEN.pdf


      • 31 May 2024
      • 12:00 - 14:00
      • Worldwide via Zoom
      • 1459
      Register
      Photos with Tripods, Flash, and Polarizers, 2 hours with Thomas Vadnais

      DATE: Friday, 31 April 2024
      TIME: 12 noon - 2 pm EDT (GMT-4)
      COST: Free for NAPARS member;  $5 for non-members
      LOCATION: Worldwide Via Zoom
      ACTAR: This event has been approved for 2 CEUs by ACTAR. Signing in with i-Attend during the show will be required, so get i-Attend on your phone in advance, per the ACTAR info page here: https://actar.org/ceu/earning


      Registered attendees will be able to request an attendance certificate during the show.


      SUMMARY:

      Almost every AR investigation and reconstruction requires us to make photographs for documentation, analysis (including photogrammetry), demonstration, and to use as exhibits in reports, depositions, and trials. Three tools—tripods, polarizers, and flash—help ensure you create consistent, accurate, good quality, and useful photographs.

      -1- Tripods:     Features to look for.

                              How tall should they be?

                              Uses:    steady camera

                                          level camera

                                          low light or long exposures

                                          when you need to be in the photo

                                          before and after photos

                                          multiple photos from same position

                                          focus stacking.

                              Choosing a tripod head.

       -2- Polarizers:  Reduce glare and enrich saturation.

                              Only filter whose effects you can’t replicate in Photoshop.

                              Useful for almost all site and vehicle inspections.

                              Especially critical for documenting tire marks.

                              Can bring out details on vehicles you can’t see with the naked eye.

       -3- Flash:         Using ambient, full flash, or fill flash.

                              Add light where it’s needed.

                              Show textures.

                              Reduce excessive contrast.

                              Freeze motion.

                              Multiple flashes bring out details in shadows.

      OUR SPEAKER:
      For more than 40 years, Tom has been providing litigation-oriented consulting engineering services in tire failures and applications, forensic photography, and vehicle accident reconstruction. He runs https://vadnaisengineering.com/ operating out of the Atlanta area, but he travels nationwide for his clients.



    NAPARS membership includes a complimentary subscription to the digital edition of the Accident Reconstruction Journal, which comes out 6 times each year. ARJ provides timely, reliable, and fresh research, thought-provoking reconstruction related studies and meaningful crash test data from multiple sources.
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