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The definition of the term “sudden emergency” in a driving situation is explored. The research regarding driver response under various alerted and surprise test conditions was surveyed. It was found that certain factors which arise in a real life sudden emergency were typically not addressed. A survey of behavioral and psychological research concerning human response to emergencies identified several factors which can significantly interfere with successfully coping with an emergency driving situation. These factors include driver expectancies of normal traffic flow, emotional arousal when confronted with a sudden and real threat of serious injury, the uncertain behavior of other involved drivers and the uncertain outcome of attempting to perform avoidance maneuvers well beyond a typical driver's routine experience.

The use of the camera has become increasingly important in vehicle accident reconstruction work. A number of practical techniques have been developed which go beyond simply documenting what is seen at a particular time. The camera may be used for making measurements, for establishing lines of sight and for analyzing photographs taken by others. This paper briefly reviews photographic methods currently in use in accident reconstruction and presents several techniques which have been developed to expand the use of the camera. Photographs taken from actual accident cases are used to illustrate these new techniques.

The side stand is a common means of supporting a parked motorcycle. Motorcycle riders may, on occasion, forget to retract the stand before riding. The potential of an unretracted stand hitting the ground and interfering with the rider's control during a turn has been recognized for a long time. Different designs have been tried in an effort to reduce or eliminate the problem. Laboratory and road tests show the effects of geometrical design parameters on the retractability of side stands and define those parameters having the greatest influence.