IMPENDING IMPACT ZONE & HEADLAMP PROJECTION ANALYSIS

IMPENDING IMPACT ZONE (IIZ) -  As it has been written in Crash Reconstruction manuals, so called “impending impact zones” are areas of known distances proceeding each vehicle on the highway, depending on its specific velocity/speed.

It’s distance “zone” includes perception, reaction, execution time and braking time/distance at a given speed.  The condition of the road surface can include many variables.  Although the (f) and - + grade are considered in this “zone” calculation.   

For the average, healthy driver motoring his vehicle down the highway, if anything (like another vehicle pulling from a driveway onto the highway or a pedestrian stepping off the curb in a crosswalk) …  if any object is in or enters the “IIZ”, a collision will generally result.   

VistaFX exclusively permits the investigator to ANIMATE this projected “IIZ” proceeding any vehicle in question for a particular scene.  Being a VISUAL society and knowing that 8-10 jurors want to visibly SEE how events transpired, based on good physical evidence evaluation this is a genuine addition to your reconstruction efforts.

Using the “Car-Ped Animation” scene found elsewhere here, the below scene should be familiar.  Only that we’ve created a “IIZ”, positioned it at the front of the Animated vehicle shape, matched it with the vehicles width, lengthened it to represent a 100 ft. low beam distance (law in most States), and created a “Animation Path” to match the automobile.

As seen below, we’ve added Text (even ‘standing’ text!!), even placed 4 ft. in height ‘distance markers’ set to a distance to match the vehicles velocity (f/ps) from impact.  This clearly gives the reviewer all kinds of options for further scrutiny and evaluation of events.  Slow motion, and extreme slow motion controls are featured.

HEADLAMP PROJECTION ANALYSIS -    During those times of the day when low light conditions occur, once again, you will find in VistaFX the exclusive ability to demonstrate what portion of the roadway (including roadside friction) would-could-should (!!) be illuminated. 

First, determine from your State’s motor vehicle code, what the minimum distance for forward projection in the Low or High beam configuration is, Second, turn to VistaFX to help you create a transparent, visual cone scaled to represent the legal projection distance …

Third, use the ‘Path Properties’ dialog (see below) to control ‘speed’ of the “Projection Cone” …   

And possibly finally (!), add Text if you wish or scale bars, North arrow’s …. Whatever it takes to further aid the “Trier of Fact” or others, to better understand what your professional Analysis of facts from the Scene, is meant to portray.

<< Back

Nexvistafx_CarBikeAnimation.htmt >>