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A number of methods have been presented previously in the literature for determination of the impact speed of a motorcycle or scooter at its point of contact with another, typically larger and heavier, vehicle or object. However, all introduced methods to date have known limitations, especially as there are often significant challenges in gathering the needed data after a collision. Unlike passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, most motorcycles and scooters carry no onboard electronic data recorders to provide insight into the impact phase of the collision. Recent research into automobile speedometers has shown that certain types of modern stepper motor based speedometers and tachometers can provide useful data for a collision reconstruction analysis if the instrument cluster loses electrical power during the impact, resulting in a “frozen” needle indication.

Vehicles involved in rollover crashes can leave debris trails which can include glass from broken windows. The glass patterns can be useful to identify the vehicles path during the rollover and the location and orientation of the vehicle at various vehicle-to-ground impacts. The location of glass, which is often window specific, can be used to identify where the window fractured during the rollover sequence. The longevity of the glass debris fields, subject to various real-world conditions and disturbances (i.e. slope, weather, mowing, soil type, etc.), was tested over a period of two years. The glass debris fields were placed and mapped in multiple locations across the United States. Periodically during each year, the glass debris fields were examined and the new field extents were mapped. The comparison between the original debris field and the subsequent debris fields are presented.