ACTAR Vehicle Damage Analysis 2

Question 1

In a collision, the term 'induced damage' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Damage that occurs as a secondary result of primary damage or structural deformation

Answer

Induced damage is secondary damage that results from primary contact damage, such as a hood buckling because the front rail collapsed.

Question 2

The CRASH3 damage algorithm uses energy-stiffness coefficients (A and B) primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Calculate crush energy absorbed by the vehicle structure

Answer

CRASH3 uses A (force-per-unit-width at zero crush) and B (stiffness) coefficients to compute the energy absorbed in vehicle crush deformation.

Question 3

Which measurement technique is used to quantify vehicle crush in the field for CRASH energy calculations?

Accepted Answer

Taking six evenly-spaced crush depth measurements across the damage width

Answer

The standard method involves six uniformly-spaced perpendicular crush measurements (C1–C6) across the damaged zone width.

Question 4

A vehicle exhibits 'peripheral damage' in a collision analysis. This refers to:

Accepted Answer

Damage to components at the edge of the contact area, such as mirrors or trim

Answer

Peripheral damage occurs at the margins of the contact zone and includes items like mirrors, lamps, and moldings that are struck tangentially.

Question 5

When analyzing a sideswipe collision, the direction of force (DOF) is typically:

Accepted Answer

Perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal axis

Answer

In a sideswipe, the primary force vector acts laterally — perpendicular to the vehicle's long axis — because contact occurs along the side.

(ACTAR) Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstructionist Practice Test