ABSTRACT
Vehicle specifications are an integral part of reconstructions of vehicular crashes. The vehicle specifications that may be of interest include basic dimensions such as length, width, height, wheelbase, front and rear overhangs, and track width. Most commercial programs for reconstructions require at least these minimum dimensional specifications. When performing low speed impacts and impacts with pedestrians, it is useful to know bumper, hood, and trunk heights. For biomechanical calculations interior dimensions may need to be taken of the vehicle or of an exemplar vehicle. When rotation of the vehicles is considered, the yaw moment of inertia is required. For rollover cases, the roll moment of inertia and the tip-over stability ratio of the vehicle are often required. The weight of the vehicle is almost always required in order to perform basic momentum calculations. For common passenger vehicles, the parameters listed above are readily available through a variety of commercial sources. For tractor-trailers, construction vehicles, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, and four wheelers, these parameters are not available and must be measured or calculated. This chapter deals with the techniques that are available to perform such calculations.
