The Traffic Accident Reconstruction Origin -Home-

The Concept

It is the explicit purpose of this Web Site to:

1. Present a critical forum for ideas and techniques used in the field of traffic accident reconstruction .
   
2. Promote excellence in the field of traffic accident reconstruction through dialog, education and individual participation.
   
3. View each reconstruction as an objective search for truth.
   
4. Encourage communication between individuals practicing in the field of traffic accident reconstruction.
   
5. Offer its contents free of charge to anyone that wants the information.
   
6. Draw its operating budget solely from advertising.
   

• TARO is a Technical Journal

  TARO is like any technical journal. It contains articles of a technical nature that report on the evolving state of traffic accident reconstruction.

  In general, a technical journal should work in the following way.
  

  1. An article is published detailing a test result, work in the field, or an idea.
  2. Critical review is solicited from those practicing and researching in the field. The work is examined to be sure that the:
     • data supports the conclusion.
     • the test method was not flawed or biased.
     • the results are reproducible.
     • the conclusion is reasonable.
  3. A discussion follows. Some disagree with the conclusion, others think it correct. The author defends his article prompting more discussion. Rarely does everyone agree; but eventually, the community comes to a general agreement. The idea is viewed as good one, or a bad one.
  4. New tests are conducted to answer the questions provoked by the conclusion in the original article.
  5. The results of the new test are published.

  The process then starts again. This is the way science advances. If the idea can survive the review it adds to the body of knowledge. This is the central reason for TARO's existence. It is an arena for the presentation and debate of topics in the field of traffic accident reconstruction.

  This technical journal is different. This electronic media has an advantage over any previous journal in any field. The response, dissent, or questions about an article will be generated on a daily basis in ARnews. ARnews is an unedited traffic accident reconstruction forum that is open to all. This is where the debate rages and ultimately opinions from the community close the loop, and pass judgement on a published article.

  ARnews is more than that. It is a public place to announce an idea, ask a question or seek others with a similar experience. It is real time and up to date. ARnews is an ongoing cutting edge discussion of traffic accident reconstruction topics.

• TARO is an Accident Reconstruction Education

  TARO is a place to publish articles about accepted traffic accident reconstruction techniques. They are placed here to serve as reference for those that are just beginning and want to learn, or those who have forgotten and need reminding. Included in this category are articles which:
  

  • Address basic, accepted, traffic accident reconstruction topics.
  • Have archive value.
  • Offer a new, or a different perspective on a traffic accident reconstruction topic.
  By offering these basic concepts, those just starting in the field will have a chance to understand the principles and the history of traffic accident reconstruction.

• TARO is a Collection of Useful Traffic Accident Reconstruction WWW Links.

  There are many valuable WWW resources available for the traffic accident reconstructionist. For example NHTSA makes available the results of their annual crash tests. You can also search for vehicle recall information. There will be more resources in the future. As these new sites come on-line they will be referenced on the Contents page.

• TARO is a Place to Present a Reconstruction Analysis

  Approach Angles is an area reserved for methods, thoughts, and debate regarding the application of Traffic Accident Reconstruction techniques. Work in the field is firmly rooted in scientific principles. But the application of the science requires many assumptions and subjective judgements not usually taught in classrooms. On the Approach Angles page a specific problem is posed. This is a real factual case. You are invited to examine the facts, choose an approach for analysis, justify your technique, then offer your answer. Though the crunching of the numbers is part of the analysis, the emphasis here is on how you arrived at your answer.

  By presenting your complete approach in this public forum others will have an opportunity to learn from your work. You also might find someone has an approach that contradicts yours.

• TARO is a host of Information Services.
  • The TARO Reference Library is a searchable Data-base.

    All published articles and WWW links will first appear on the Contents page. After a listing of two months, these articles will be passed to The Reference Library. The library will contain all articles and links previously published in TARO. They will be organized by topic to aid in future research.

  • The TARO E-mail Phone Book is another searchable Data-base

    The name, specialties, and E-mail addresses of reconstructionists worldwide are available in the E-mail Directory. This is a directory of traffic accident reconstructionists. It is a self maintaining data base that will help you find the person you are looking for, or help someone find you. You can place you name in the directory today. There is no charge.

  • The TARO Organization Directory is another Information Service.

    The Organization Directory contains the name, the E-mail contact, and upcoming events for regional and national traffic accident reconstruction groups. If your organization has its own site you can link there from here. This is a free service offered to non-profit associations. Register your organization today.

• TARO is a place for WWW personal advertising.

  For those who wish a larger presence on the web, TARO offers a personal web page service. Called Professional Profiles, it is a place to showcase your specialty and unique qualifications. If you choose this service, your entry in the E-mail Phone Book will be highlighted. Your picture and the details of your Professional Profile will be one click away. This WWW page address could also appear on your business card. Anyone on-line would then have access to your profile.

  The first year of the Professional Profile service is free, but there is a catch. For more information see Professional Profiles.

• TARO is a place to advertise traffic accident reconstruction related products.

  If you have spent any time on the WWW you have seen the new opportunities that electronic ads bring to advertising. Electronic-ads are not like magazine advertisements. You are no longer limited to one 8.5 x 11 inch page. Your advertisement can be a case study, a short tutorial, or a complete demonstration of your product. Your imagination is the limit. You are invited to push the electronic envelope.

  If your business is already on the Web, TARO can link to your Web Site, wherever you are. For more information on commercial advertising see Commercial Advertising..

• TARO Classified is a place to Buy, Sell and More.

  TARO Classified is much like the classified section of your local newspaper. But here the emphasis is on topics of interest to the reconstructionist. Catagories include For Sale, Wanted, Position Available, Position Wanted and more. Placing an advertiesment is free. You can read or place an ad today.

• Lastly, TARO is the Senior Design Project of Bill Wright, a mechanical engineering student at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton Fla, and an accident investigator with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in West Palm Beach Fla.

The Internet offers extraordinary possibilities for the exchange of knowledge and information. For example:

• Imagine needing the article you read three years ago, but not remembering where it was. It could be one click away in a comprehensive Reference Library.
  
• Ponder the networking that might take place when a researcher browsing the E-mail Phone Book finds a person to collaborate with, someone else with a similar interest.
  
• Consider the injustice not inflicted when a police officer, with inadequate training, and no one to ask, finds an E-mail mentor to guide him to the proper conclusions from his facts.
  
• The technology now exists to transmit an audio signal across the net. Imagine a world wide Net-lecture that you attend by sitting in front of your computer and listening to the instruction as charts, pictures and blackboard notes are passed to your screen. You E-mail a question, and the instructor immediately responds with an answer.
  
• Articles can be illustrated with sound or video instead of just photographs.
  
• If hundreds subscribe to the Professional Profile service, it could be the first place a Web-wise attorney goes to find a reconstructionist for his particular case. Your personal web page could be the electronic link that brings work into your office.
  
• And there are other things now in the works for TARO.

The bulk of the work so far has been in the writing of this framework, the code that makes it work, and arranging for the hardware that makes it available on the net. The job now on this end of the TARO connection is the cataloging, support and maintenance of the information.

TARO has the potential to be something remarkable, more than just a page on the Web. If it is successful, the success will not be from the effort of one person. Hundreds must contribute their work and time. Read these pages. Get a feel for what is here. See the vision of what this could be.

If someone in the field asks for your help, give it. If you have a paper that you think relevant, submit it. If you disagree with something, state your case against it. If you can support an advertiser, buy his product. If you see a way to improve TARO, suggest it. Get involved.

Because in the end, the Internet will be what we make of it.

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