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As part of determining the circumstances of a crash, components or component assemblies may be evaluated to identify if they were damaged as a result of the crash or if they lost function prior to the crash. Evaluation of a component or component assembly loss of function on vehicle performance is useful in establishing vehicle dynamics and other detailed characteristics of a crash. The causes and conditions for a tie rod fracture or separation from the steering knuckle of a vehicle are evaluated through both component level analysis and full vehicle testing. Full vehicle testing was conducted to evaluate the effects of a tie rod separation on vehicle control and to document any associated vehicle or roadway evidence that may be available. Case study components and scene evidence from vehicles involved in a crash where a tie rod separation was observed were also analyzed and documented.

Motor vehicle accident databases provide valuable safety information about the real world crash experience for millions of motor vehicles. The associated research often requires specific information about vehicle characteristics derived from the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The complicated process of large-scale VIN decoding is made easier with software that identifies specific make, model and other characteristics. Data entry errors and truncated VINs (i.e., less than 17 characters), however, pose challenges to reliable vehicle identification. A study of VIN coding requirements and data entry patterns indicates that reliable accident vehicle identification can be accomplished by supplementing VIN decoding software to systematically minimize common transcription errors and invalid characters. This process can yield reliable vehicle identification and maximize utilization of vehicle records for motor vehicle crash analysis.