Citation

Schmidt B, Beach M. Collision 2011; 6(2): 108-112.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Collision Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Several commonly held misconceptions regarding the post-impact motion of a vehicle could have a significant negative effect on proper accident reconstruction in the case of eccentric (offset) collisions. This article explores some examples of these misconceptions and provides the results of real and simulated crash tests that confirm that these "myths" are not universally true. The examples confirm that: 1) the departure angles of both vehicles do not have to lie within the cone defined by the approach velocities; and 2) a vehicle is capable of exerting a collision force prior to maximum engagement that is not in the direction that it was initially traveling, even if it strikes a fixed barrier. The examples confirm that although some general guidelines, such as the idea of the departure cone, are useful in evaluating most collisions, they may not always apply in highly eccentric situations.