PC-Crash
Definition
Accident reconstruction simulation software (Steffan and Moser, Austria) that models vehicle dynamics, pedestrian multibody kinematics, and collision geometry; validated against crash-test data and accepted in US, UK, and European courts.
- Developer
- Steffan and Moser, Austria
- Function
- Vehicle dynamics, pedestrian multibody kinematics, collision geometry simulation
- Validation
- Benchmarked against physical crash-test data
- Court acceptance
- US, UK and European courts
Common questions
How does PC-Crash differ from a simple skid-mark speed calculation?+
A skid-mark formula gives a single speed estimate from one data point. PC-Crash simulates the full sequence, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian dynamics, and iterates parameters until the simulated outcome matches the physical evidence, which lets it test whether a proposed scenario is physically consistent, not just plausible.
What input errors most affect a PC-Crash reconstruction?+
Inaccurate scene measurements, wrong vehicle mass or dimension entries, and unverified friction coefficient assumptions all propagate through the simulation, so the output is only as reliable as the surveyed and measured inputs the analyst supplies.
Related terms
- Coefficient of Kinetic Friction (Mu)
- The dimensionless ratio of the sliding friction force to the normal force between a tyre and the road; typically 0.55-0.70 for dry...
- Coefficient of Restitution (E)
- The ratio of the relative velocity of separation to the relative velocity of approach in a collision; e = 0 for perfectly...
- Daubert Standard
- The US federal evidentiary standard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1993) requiring that expert testimony be based on scientifically valid methods with...
- Energy-Equivalent Speed (EES / Delta-V)
- The SAE J2080 metric quantifying the kinetic energy absorbed by vehicle crush deformation, expressed as the speed change equivalent; used in the...
- Event Data Recorder (EDR)
- An onboard module that records pre-crash vehicle kinematics (speed, throttle, brake, steering) in the seconds before airbag deployment; governed by SAE J1698...
- Head-Throw Distance (HTD)
- The horizontal distance from the vehicle's front bumper contact zone to the final rest position of the pedestrian's head; used in the...
- IRTE
- Institute of Road Traffic Engineers (UK); publishes the Forensic Collision Investigation manual that governs police and expert-witness reconstruction methodology in England and...
- Momentum Conservation
- In the absence of external horizontal impulses, the total linear momentum of a two-vehicle collision system (sum of mass times velocity for...
- SAE J1739
- Society of Automotive Engineers standard for traffic-accident reconstruction covering momentum, skid, and crush-energy methods; the primary scientific-community reference for admissibility arguments in...
- Skid-Mark Formula
- v = sqrt(2 mu g d), where v is the pre-skid speed (m/s), mu is the coefficient of kinetic friction between tyre...
- Yaw Mark
- A curved, striated tyre impression produced when a vehicle slides at an angle to its direction of travel during a steered or...