Crash Retrieval System
GM and Vetronix Certified

Crash Data Retrieval System (CDRs) / GM Vehicles
Outlined below is a brief explanation of the newest technology to reach the market -- the Crash Data Retrieval System.
List of Vehicles | Pre-Crash | Post-Crash | Crash Data Example

For several years General Motors (GM) has been obtaining crash data from vehicles involved in collisions. Other manufacturers are beginning to equip vehicles with the (Black Box) technology, but the software is not yet being released to the public. GM has been equipping it vehicles with a recording device that collects and stores the last 5 seconds of data just prior to a crash and/or post-crash data. Until recently only GM personnel and others authorized by GM could download and decode the raw data into meaningful crash data and information. The technology is now available to those in traffic accident reconstruction.

GM's airbag module (known as the Sensing and Diagnostic Module or SDM) makes decisions regarding when and if to deploy the airbags. These decisions are based on the crash severity and the crash impulse. Other vehicle manufacturer's equipment must assess the situation as does the GM module, but most other manufacturers are not designing their equipment to record and store the crash data as is GM. Thus it functions the same in a crash, but no crash data regarding the actions of the vehicle and the operator are stored for later recovery.

Pre-Crash | Post-Crash | Crash Data Example

PRE CRASH

The data that can be recovered falls into the following categories:

1. Vehicle speed (MPH for the last 5 seconds before the crash event)
2. The engine RPM's
3. Percent of throttle (last 5 seconds of gas pedal)
4. Whether the brakes were applies (brake switch "on" or "off")

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POST CRASH

Post-crash data in the form of Delta V is available in several modules (certain vehicles). The velocity change in relation to time (ms) is displayed in table and graph form.

In addition, information regarding the status of airbag switches (recognizing that passengers are present for example) can be obtained. Also data regarding whether the driver was utilizing his/her safety belt is available.

George Ruotolo Consultants was the 24th company in the country to purchase and obtain the software and hardware that allows crash data to be downloaded from GM cars. Several successful cases are on file.

If you are working on a case involving a General Motors vehicle, call or e-mail George Ruotolo directly to determine if your specific vehicle can be analyzed for crash data.

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The example below is data from a crash using the Crash Data Retrieval System.

The above chart depicts the following regarding the crash event involving this vehicle:

That the driver let off the gas while applying the brakes. He then released the brakes, applied the gas, and then re-applied the brakes after letting off the gas. Note the brake application line is at 100% then falls to zero and returns to 100%. When the brake line falls to zero the percent of throttle rises from zero to 40% for a brief instant. This tells us that the driver had a point of indecision and for a brief second was attempting a maneuver other than braking.

Also note that the driver slowed the vehicle from 61 mph to 25 mph at impact during the 5-second period. Impact was at 25 mph.

No longer will accident reconstructionists have to speculate as to what may have been occurring in the last few seconds before impact. Now the job of the reconstructionist will be to accurately represent how the crash occurred and analyze what, if anything, the driver could have done differently to avoid the crash.

Call George Ruotolo Consultants today for Crash Data Retrieval.

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