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This paper describes the use of 3-D technologies for reconstructing and simulating motor vehicle accidents involving humans (occupants and pedestrians) and vehicles (passenger cars, pickups, vans, multi-purpose vehicles, on-highway trucks and vehicle-trailers). All examples involve three-dimensional environments, including road crowns, hills, curbs and embankments - any geometrical feature resulting in three-dimensional motion. Various reconstruction and simulation models are illustrated. The features and limitations of each model are addressed. Issues involving data requirements, preparation of 3-D models and presentation techniques (numeric, graphic and video animation) are also explored.

The use of “generic vehicle data” gained wide user acceptance with the introduction of the CRASH3 computer program in 1981. The categories were broadened for use in EDVAP in 1984. However, the categories have not been updated since 1984, and the data relied upon by vehicle safety researchers has become stale. This paper updates the vehicle class categories, as well as broadens the categories to provide a more useful set of generic vehicles for a newer vehicle population mix, which now includes mini-vans, small pickups and multi-purpose vehicles. The paper describes the methods used for establishing the categories, calculating the individual vehicle parameters for each category and extending the categories to include three-dimensional vehicle parameters.

The HVE scientific visualization environment introduced motor vehicle safety researchers to anew paradigm for studying the cause of motor vehicle accidents. The open architecture of HVE provided access to several new and existing reconstruction and simulation models for both humans and vehicles. This paper provided a validation of four existing models: EDCRASH, EDSMAC, EDSVS and EDVTS. Because these EDVAP models had previous validation studies, the results obtained in the HVE environment were limited to a comparison with those previous studies. The validation of the simulation models was extended to include three-dimensional environments.