ACTAR Vehicle Damage Analysis 3

Question 1

In an underride collision where a car slides under a truck trailer, which vehicle surface typically shows 'contact damage' matching the car's roofline?

Accepted Answer

The underside of the truck trailer floor or rear cross-member

Answer

In a rear underride, the car's upper structure contacts the underside of the trailer, leaving characteristic scrape and crush marks on the trailer floor or cross-member.

Question 2

The 'damage profile' method of matching vehicles in a two-vehicle collision involves:

Accepted Answer

Verifying that the height, shape, and character of damage on one vehicle corresponds geometrically to the striking surface of the other

Answer

Damage profile matching confirms a collision pairing by verifying that the geometry, height, and character of damage on Vehicle A corresponds to the contact surface geometry of Vehicle B.

Question 3

A vehicle's unibody structure shows 'diamond deformation' after a collision. This means:

Accepted Answer

The body has been distorted so the passenger compartment is skewed into a parallelogram shape

Answer

Diamond deformation occurs when one side of the vehicle is pushed rearward relative to the other, distorting the body into a parallelogram or diamond shape when viewed from above.

Question 4

Which type of damage pattern is most indicative of a vehicle rolling over during a collision?

Accepted Answer

Distributed damage on the roof, A-pillars, and door sills consistent with ground contact

Answer

Rollover events produce characteristic damage on the roof and pillars from ground contact, along with scraping and crush marks on the sides and roof panels.

Question 5

When using photogrammetry to document vehicle crush, the primary advantage over manual tape measurement is:

Accepted Answer

It allows three-dimensional documentation and measurement from images after the vehicle has been repaired or scrapped

Answer

Photogrammetry enables accurate 3D measurements to be extracted from photographs after the fact, which is critical when vehicles are repaired or destroyed before a full investigation occurs.

(ACTAR) Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstructionist Practice Test

(ACTAR) Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstructionist Practice Test

ACTAR Vehicle Damage Analysis 3