This course is designed to facilitate getting crash investigation findings admitted into evidence in court. It will enable an officer to qualify as an expert and give expert testimony in court relative to the causation factors in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Topics include:

Derivation and origin of the commonly used speed formulas

Speed of vehicles at impact using conservation of linear momentum

Behavior of vehicles in a collision using Newton's three laws of motion

The effect of weight shift in braking involving large trucks and buses, including truck-tractor semitrailer combinations

The effect of computer or anti-skid braking systems in stopping distances and braking action

The determination of direction of travel, initial contact and position of vehicles on the roadway



This course includes extensive project work and controlled vehicle experiments to give the student first hand experience in proving that the specific equations are accurate. Prerequisite for this course is the IPTM Advanced Traffic Crash Investigation or the Vehicle Dynamics Course. Early registration is recommended as study materials in basic mathematics and algebra will be forwarded to each student upon receipt of registration. Students should review those materials prior to the course date. Class size is limited to 30 students.

Course is not currently scheduled.