The Traffic Accident Reconstruction Origin -ARnews-

Re: Flip & Fault Method of Speed Calculation

Bruno Schmidt (BFSchmidt@gnn.com)
Thu, 29 Feb 1996 22:36:46 -0500 (EST)

Flip and FALL is the correct terminology. It applies to the situation where a
pedestrian vehicle collision is a centered full impact one. In this case the
pedestrian is accelerated rapidly to the same speed as the vehicle without
either vaulting or sliding up onto the windshield. Instead the pedestrian
begins moving with the front of the vehicle at which point the vehicle force
on the pedestrian becomes small and the pedestrian falls to the ground (while
still moving forward). This is discussed in detail in Section 872 of the 2nd
volume of Fricke's Traffic Accident Investigation Manual published by
Northwestern University and the equations are developed there.

Fricke also points out that for a pedestrian in a vaulting motion as a result
of a collision the vault equation in general is not valid for determining
speeds as there are too many unknowns.
Bruno Schmidt
BFSchmidt@gnn.com

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