MSC to Host CDR User Training Classes in December 2012 (CDR Version 8.0 & Newly Covered Vehicles)

Kelly Messerschmidt
Technical Communications Manager
MSC

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants (MSC) will host the CDR Systems Operators Class and the CDR Analysis and Applications Class on December 3 – 7, 2012, at The Accelerator at Southern Miss, which is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The classes will be taught by instructors Brad Muir and Jon Northrup, of Crash Data Specialists LLC. Muir and Northrup will be using the latest version of the Bosch Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) System, version 8.0.

The CDR System allows users to image important vehicle crash data present in the Airbag Control Modules (ACMs) of most late model production vehicles from manufacturers including Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, GM (Chevy, Olds, Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, Cadillac, GMC, Holden, & Opal), Honda/Acura, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan/Infiniti, Saab, Sterling, Suzuki, and Toyota/Lexus/Scion.

Learn more about the vehicle coverage in CDR Software v8.0.

The CDR Systems Operators Class is an eight-hour class that covers the basics of operation, including how to determine if the subject vehicle is supported by CDR, how to select the appropriate connection method to safely image crash data, and how to create reports and save the imaged data for later use. This class serves as the prerequisite for the 32-hour CDR Analysis and Applications Class, which Crash Data Specialists will be teaching Tuesday through Friday (December 4 – 7, 2012).

The CDR Analysis and Applications Class teaches users how to understand the function of the Event Data Recorder (EDR) information present in some ACMs. In this class, users perform line-by-line data analyses, learn how to apply the data to the crash, and receive instruction on delta-v, closing speed analysis, and a variety of additional topics.

Register for the CDR classes online, or register by calling MSC's office at 205.444.0071.

View a printable flyer (pdf).

Messerschmidt and Austin to Present at the 2012 ARC-CSI Crash Conference

Kelly Messerschmidt
Technical Communications Manager
MSC

Bill Messerschmidt of MSC, and Tim Austin of the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy will give a presentation on “Using ECM Diagnostic Data in Crash Reconstruction” at the 2012 ARC-CSI Crash Conference, which will take place June 4-7, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Messerschmidt and Austin’s presentation explores the presence of important, volatile fault data in heavy vehicle Engine Control Modules (ECMs) that are oftentimes ignored, inadvertently erased, or overwritten during the ECM data imaging process.

They will discuss how and when diagnostic records are written, how they can be useful in collision investigations, as well as how the data can be preserved correctly. Messerschmidt and Austin will describe data imaging methods, such as the use of surrogate vehicles and devices like the “Truck in a Box.”

The ARC-CSI Crash Conference takes place annually and—as they have done for the past 10 years—the ARC-CSI Crash Team will conduct multiple, fully instrumented live crash tests of vehicles in real world crash scenarios. Learn more about the crash tests.

The two days that follow crash test day are comprised of technical presentations given by experts from around the world on topics relevant to investigating and reconstructing vehicle collisions. Learn more about the topics and speakers for the 2012 ARC-CSI Crash Conference.

Register to attend this year’s conference.

SAE EDR Symposium: Day 2, Session 1

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The second day of the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) Symposium kicks off with a morning session on international perspectives on EDRs. Speakers from Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and Japan will be up this morning.

The session begins with Ralph-Roland Schmidt-Cotta from Continental GmbH in Germany. Herr Schmidt-Cotta is covering the historical background of EDRs. This history goes back to 1971, when mechanical tachographs were mandated in the European Economic Community. In 1973, the German Traffic Court Conference called for an Accident Data Recorder. Currently, the EU is attending to vulnerable road users (cyclists and motorcycle users) because fatalities among these road users are increasing relative to the number of overall fatalities. EDR technology may assist in these incidents. The European Parliament will be considering several bills that may require EDR technology in Europe for accident research, but the use of EDR data in civil and criminal proceedings will likely be left to the national level.

The second speaker, from the Japan Automotive Research Institute (JARI), is Nobuyki Uchida. His presentation is Human Error Analysis in Pedestrian Incidents. In Japan, pedestrian accidents account for approximately 35% of fatalities. In response to this, JARI conducted a naturalistic driving study using video recorders. Five video cameras were linked to vehicle onboard data, such as speed pulse and brake activations. Based on their research, attentional allocation and temporal obstructions were causal factors in drivers making the incorrect decision that it was safe to turn. JARI will be working to develop pedestrian sensors that can assist drivers in avoiding these crashes.

The third speaker is Tobias Aberle, from AXA Winterthur in Switzerland. AXA implemented a crash data recorder for its customers and offered a 15% discount on insurance premiums. These crash recorders are specifically designed for capturing data after an incident, and they provide overwrite protection, backup power, and record at higher resolution during the crash than during the seconds leading up to and after it. This is quite nice, since it was designed for accident investigations. I am a bit surprised that the crash recorder is a robust accelerometer and doesn't include driver inputs such as throttle position or brake pedal position.

The final speaker of the first session today is Dr. Anders Ydenius from Folksam Research in Sweden. Dr. Ydenius has analyzed crashes with EDR-equipped vehicles between 1992 and 2008, with a specific focus on road design and its interaction with driver and occupant injuries. Crashes were analyzed by speed limit, crash type, friction conditions, and fixed object (for single vehicle crashes). One of the (several) interesting conclusions was that wire guardrails and W guardrails offer significant potential for injury mitigation over concrete barriers.

This is one of the coolest aspects of this seminar: having renowned international speakers from Europe and Asia offers excellent perspective.

Visit SAE's page to learn more about the speakers. View the Event Guide for the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle EDR Symposium (pdf).

SAE EDR SYMPOSIUM: DAY 1, SESSION 4

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The last session of a great day in Danville, Virginia, is on standards development, beginning with SAE J1698, SAE J2728, and International Standards Organization (ISO) Activity.

The first speaker is Brian Everest, speaking on the objectives of the light vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) Standards Committee. The updated Standard will address the data, the tool, and the extraction. There are five task forces, focusing on: 1) updating the text and definitions to be current with new and future technology; 2) defining new future parameters and technologies (like brake pedal position!); 3) tamper resistance, physical integrity, and standard data retrieval communications; 4) recommended practices for any tool used for accessing the EDR; 5) ensuring data integrity.

That's a lot of beneficial work!

The next speaker is Carl Munch, speaking on test protocols for compliance with Part 563. This is the part of the committee's work that will ensure that data from EDRs are recorded and reported accurately, including synchronizing the parameters. The committee has looked at reporting of longitudinal delta v, max delta v, and time to max delta v.

The third speaker is Lee Lackey, from Noregon Systems, discussing the J2728 committee. This committee has developed the Standard for HVEDRs. There were four main groups in Tier 1, which is the first stage of the Standard: data definitions, data extraction, data file format, and event triggers. There were also groups for performance specs and survivability, which come into play more in Tier 2 than in Tier 1.

The J2728 Standard has 16 Header parameters, 1 Footer parameter, and 20 data elements. The data will be output into a CSV file that can be validated, and requires EDRs to have sufficient reserve power to write data in the event of a complete power failure. At this point, the Standard is in the final stages of meeting some requests from the NTSB.

The last speaker of the day is Joseph Marsh, from Ivy Consultancy, describing the International Standards Organization's activity with EDRs. These are under TC22 / SC 12 / WG7, the Traffic Accident Analysis Methodology group. This is mostly concerning the collection of aggregate EDR data.

This was an excellent day--very much worth the time and money. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

Visit SAE's page learn more about the speakers. View the Event Guide for the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle EDR Symposium (pdf).

SAE EDR SYMPOSIUM: DAY 1, SESSION 3

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

Session Three of the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle EDR Symposium has five speakers who are trucking safety professionals discussing their and their companies' experience with Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) and various Event Data Recorder (EDR) systems.

The first speaker after lunch was Jerry Waddell from Cargo Transporters. Mr. Waddell discussed their positive experience with Critical Event Reporting, especially in notifying management of hard brake events.

The second speaker is Brett Graves from Maverick Transportation. Maverick Transportation is using predictive modeling to enhance the safety of their fleet. Their predictive models have greatly reduced their reportable and preventable rates per million miles.

The third speaker is Michael Baker from Usher Transport. Usher Transport has had only five rollovers in the 27 years that Mr. Baker has been there in safety. WOW!!! Some statistics from his presentation: 1/5 rollovers have two contributing factors: inattention and drowsiness. 1/5 rollovers results from excessive cornering speed. Lowering a trailer three inches increases stability by 10%. More stats: freeway off-ramps account for 7% of rollovers; interstate highways account for about 31%. State highways account for the remaining 68%. Forty-seven percent of rollovers result from lane departures. Only 9% result from cornering too fast.

The fourth speaker is James Burg of James Burg Trucking Company (JBTC). JBTC uses Drivecam Video Event Recorders and hauls normal and oversized loads. JBTC uses Drivecam as a training tool and also in incident and crash investigations. It has helped with company policy compliance, driving safety, and driver training. JBTC really works to make their drivers better drivers.

The fifth speaker is Sam Faucette from Old Dominion Freight Line. Old Dominion is the largest LTL carrier using EOBRs. They use a list of several variables that are monitored in order to evaluate safe, efficient operations. Like the other companies, they are turning "data" into useful information.

All five companies represented have one thing in common. They view safety as a human issue and rely on the EDR systems as tools to help the safety manager make good decisions and improve driver performance. Although they each use different techniques and different tools, they are all focused on developing high quality, well-trained, professional drivers.

Visit SAE's page about this event to learn more about the speakers. View the Event Guide for the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle EDR Symposium (pdf).

SAE EDR Symposium: Day 1, Session 2

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The second session is Passenger Car Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Event Data Recorders (EDRs). The first speaker is James Engle from Ford. His presentation is an overview of the Ford EDR systems (powertrain control module, restraint control module). He is discussing how Ford EDRs are changing to become Part 563 compliant. The most notable change from a crash investigation standpoint is that data won't be recorded on the PCM anymore.

Next speakers are from Chrysler: Lisa Fodale & James Bielenda. Ms. Fodale is describing the three phases of Chrysler EDRs (Phase 1: 2005-2007MY, Phase 2: 2008-2009MY, Phase 3: 2010-2012). She's provided a really good, succinct summary of the increasing amount of data supported in these EDRs. Mr. Beilenda provided a great segment on numerous applications of Chrysler EDRs. Both sections were great summaries of where these two manufacturers are with EDRs and Part 563 compliance.

Visit SAE's page about this event to learn more about the speakers. View the Event Guide for the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle EDR Symposium (pdf).

SAE to Hold 2011 EDR Symposium, June 6-8

Kelly Messerschmidt

Technical Communications Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) will hold an Event Data Recorder (EDR) Symposium at the Institute Conference Center, in Danville, Virginia, June 6-8, 2011.

MSC’s Bill Messerschmidt will be speaking at the EDR Symposium on analyzing driver behavior using HVEDR data, during the second Unique Applications session, on June 8^th. This year’s event marks the fourth EDR Symposium held since 1999.

The SAE 2011 EDR Symposium includes 38 speakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden. These 38 speakers include university researchers, government researchers, trucking company executives and safety managers, industry engineers and executives, and consultants. Read about the speakers.

Technical sessions include Video Data Recorder applications, Standards Development, Passenger Car EDRs, International Activities, and Unique Applications.

You can learn more about the 2011 EDR Symposium at the SAE website. The links on the page include registration, travel, and exhibitor information, as well as speaker bios and descriptions of the technical sessions.

Senators Pryor (D-AR) and Alexander (R-TN) Introduce New Electronic On-board Recorder (EOBR) Legislation

Benjamin Smith

Principal Technical Analyst

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants of Mississippi

US Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced new legislation on March 31, 2011 that would require the installation of Electronic On-board Recorders (EOBRs) in commercial vehicles to document drivers' compliance with Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules.

The March 31 press release indicates that the Commercial Driver Compliance Improvement Act will require the EOBRs to be tamper-resistant, identify the vehicle's operator and record driving time, communicate with the Engine Control Module (ECM), provide real-time location recording, and allow for the data to be accessed by law enforcement in roadside inspections.

Senators Pryor and Alexander's new legislation aims at enforcing HOS rules more effectively and accurately. In the press release, Pryor said, "The trucking industry faces the constant balancing act of keeping fatigued drivers off the road while ensuring stores are full of merchandise. After several meetings with the trucking industry and Senate hearings on highway safety, I believe the most effective solution is to require the use of electronic on-board recorders."

MSC Participates in the 2011 SAE World Congress

Benjamin Smith

Principal Technical Analyst

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants of Mississippi

For the third consecutive year, MSC was involved with the publication and presentation of new research for the SAE World Congress. This year MSC was represented by Benjamin Smith who coauthored a new research paper, "Data Extraction Methods and their Effects on the Retention of Event Data Contained in the Electronic Control Modules of Detroit Diesel and Mercedes-Benz Engines," (SAE 2011-01-0808), with David Plant and Timothy Austin.

This paper was presented along with research such as Ruth and Daily's paper on Event Data Recorder (EDR) accuracy, Bare, Everest, Floyd, and Nunan's research paper on sensing diagnostic module (SDM) pre-crash data transfer, and Austin and Farrell's paper on Caterpillar Electronic Control Module (ECM) snapshot data. In addition to the research papers presented, some of the technical sessions and discussions addressed accident reconstruction topics including drag sled accuracy and usage, forensic photogrammetry, and diesel engine retarder acceleration rates.

Benjamin Smith Lectures at Southern Miss

Benjamin Smith, Principal Technical Analyst for MSC Mississippi, was invited as a guest lecturer for The University of Southern Mississippi’s forensic science seminar course on February 28, 2011. Ben covered topics including crash reconstruction, Event Data Recorders (EDRs), forensic mapping, and forensic photography during this seminar. Email Ben Smith.

In March 2011, Benjamin will teach a section of Assistant Professor Dean Bertram, Ph.D.'s crime scene documentation course at Southern Miss. The course serves both undergraduate and graduate students.

Benjamin is an alumnus of The University of Southern Mississippi’s Forensic Science Department. He returns annually as a guest lecturer on various crash reconstruction topics.

MSC Conducts Heavy Vehicle EDR Testing

In conjunction with the Wisconsin State Patrol, DP Plant & Associates, and Fox Valley Technical College, Benjamin Smith of MSC conducted research tests on Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorders (EDRs) last week. This testing was performed on Mercedes Benz and Detroit Diesel engines and took place at the Fox Valley Technical College driving course in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Over 35 tests were run in an effort to strengthen and supplement current research projects. These tests will be included in a publication to be released in mid-2011. They are part of a larger research effort that has been in operation since early 2009.

MSC thanks Fox Valley Technical College for having generously donated the use of test vehicles, test engines, test facilities, and staff. Smith says, “Our team’s research projects would not be possible without Fox Valley Technical College and their dedication to science and technology.”

Bill Messerschmidt Presents at IAARS Annual Conference

On July 19, 2010, MSC’s Principal Technical Analyst, Bill Messerschmidt, had the opportunity to address the annual conference of the International Association of Accident Reconstruction Specialists (IAARS).

At this year’s conference, Bill provided a presentation on human factors in vehicle collision reconstruction, as well as a session on heavy vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) technology. Learn more about heavy vehicle EDRs.

The conference was held at the Mall of America Radisson Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, and was attended by civilian and law enforcement crash investigators and engineers from across the US and Canada.

Conference organizer and IAARS president Dan Lofgren said, “It was a very good seminar experience for all in attendance, in large part due to your presentations. We had very good feedback.” Positive feedback can be attributed in large part to the subject matter experts invited by IAARS and the excellent planning and facilities chosen by the organizers.

Other speakers included Dr. Frank Navin, Mr. Peter Murphy, Dr. Don Schmalzbauer, IAARS president Dan Lofgren, and textbook author Myron Lofgren. It was an honor for Bill and MSC to be included “on the ticket” with these people.

The cost of the conference was $75 for members of IAARS, and it provided ACTAR continuing education credits for accredited reconstruction experts. MSC is looking forward to the 2011 IAARS Conference.

MSC in Wisconsin Trooper Magazine

In February, Messerschmidt Safety Consulting was honored by inclusion in the cover story of the Spring 2010 issue of Wisconsin Trooper magazine. Wisconsin Trooper is the official quarterly publication of the Wisconsin State Trooper Association.

During 2009, Troopers from the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP) made important contributions to two Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) technical papers. Sergeant Duane Meyers coauthored a technical paper with Dr. L. Daniel Metz, which looks at tire/road friction at high speeds (“Controlled Braking Experiments with and without ABS,” forthcoming SAE 2010-01-1000), and Trooper Tim Austin coauthored a technical paper with representatives of several other organizations (including MSC) on the effect that power failure has on event data recorders (EDRs) in heavy trucks (“Simulating the Effect of Collision-Related Power Loss on the Event Data Recorders of Heavy Trucks,” forthcoming SAE 2010-01-1004).

Wisconsin’s Technical Reconstruction Unit, of which Meyers and Austin are members, continues to make meaningful and valuable contributions to forensic science, accident investigation and reconstruction, and criminal justice. We at MSC are privileged to have had the opportunity to work with the WSP and to have been included in the Trooper Association’s quarterly magazine.

Bill Speaks at the Midwest Association of Technical Accident Investigators (MATAI) Annual Conference

On June 9, at the MATAI Annual Conference, Bill presented the results of Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) testing that was conducted with the Wisconsin State Patrol last month at Fox Valley Technical College. The testing involved using heavy vehicles to simulate real-life events (such as a loss of power) to better understand how an Event Control Module (ECM) records data during accidents.

MATAI is a group of accident investigators from law enforcement, engineering, and academia, whose members represent eight states in the Midwest. Visit the MATAI website.

Other speakers at the conference included John Daily (pole impacts); Ron Heusser (truck brake systems); Dr. Daniel Metz (vehicle dynamics); Rick Ruth (automobile EDRs); and Jim Sobek (conspicuity). About 125 people attended this year's conference at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.