Synthesis of video and 3D laser metrology to reconstruct a vehicle vs pedestrian collision: a case study

Human Factors investigations of vehicle-versus-pedestrian collisions can be challenging due to a lack of objective data. While sources such as electronic data recorders on vehicles are typically sensitive to collisions with other vehicles or large-mass objects, pedestrian strikes often fail to generate sufficient accelerative forces to reach triggering thresholds. The present work details a case study of the reconstruction of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision. While the vehicle data recorder failed to capture the collision, a security camera was located approximately 360 feet away which partially-captured the crash site. Data from this security camera and 3D laser scan data were combined and analyzed to determine the pre-impact speeds of the vehicle and pedestrians. Comparison of the calculated speeds to normative data suggest this is a reliable method for analysis of challenging video data. Results and future work are discussed.