Matt Packard may be the only human on earth who hopes to one day lose his job. Okay, not the only one. Don Schmalzbauer has the same dream. So do a couple of thousands others around the country. Packard and Schmalzbauer are accident reconstruction specialists, investigating fatal and/or felony car crashes.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among Americans up to the age of 34. According to U.S. Department of Transportation, 42,643 people died and 2.89 million were injured in auto crashes in 2003. Crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year or about $820 per person.

In a typical year Colorado State Patrol Trooper Packard investigates about 40 crashes. These are the worst of the worst, either because of a death or because investigators suspect some sort of felony activity was involved. Sergeant Schmalzbauer, a 27-year veteran with the Minnesota State Patrol, says his office investigates upwards of 600 crashes involving serious injury or fatality with Schmalzbauer assigned to the high profile cases.

Though every reconstructionist follows his own system the basics remain the same. Called to the scene of an accident by a law enforcement officer, he’s immediately brought up to speed on the basic accident facts. Packard likes to talk with on-scene troopers and any available witnesses

“Once that’s completed then I walk through scene, looking at the road, weather, environment, vehicles, and traffic control devices,” says Schmalzbauer. “You get a feel for what you have.”

Then it’s time to grab a camera and photograph the crash scene in detail. What was the approach? What sort of vehicle damage exists? Are there marks on the road? Were there any parked vehicles that may have obstructed a driver’s view? Road grade, road type (gravel, sand, asphalt) and weather conditions (rain, ice, fog, etc.) can prove invaluable as well to solving the mystery.

Packard says every bit of available evidence is collected, just as we see on television crime shows. “We look vehicles to see what’s going on. Are there liquor bottles or other evidence? Shoe prints on accelerator or brake pedals, blood, hair, and fiber evidence all can help,” he explains.

Forensic mapping is next. Until recently, accident reconstructionists relied on pencil, paper and tape measurer. These days sophisticated technology and computer software make their job a lot easier and more precise. By using a laser mapping system to plot the roadways, road markings, pertinent signs, skid marks and more, officers can then download the data into a computer which produces a precise scaled-down depiction of the accident scene.

Some of the items checked for include skid marks, scratches or gouges in the pavement. Are stop signs viewable or have a tree branch grown in front of one? Are signals working properly. Are any globes (lights) burned out? Are the intersections graded? If so, is it up or down? Is there any debris on the roadway?

Because clearing an accident scene and re-opening the road is a top priority, one an accident reconstructionist has his basic data, the involved vehicles are towed to an impound area for further inspection out of harm’s way. During the post crash mechanical inspection officers essentially examine every inch of the vehicle, inside and out. What’s the general overall condition? Are the tires flat or over-inflated? Is the tie rod intact. Is the speedometer stuck at a certain speed? Is there any medication, stimulants or alcohol inside the car? What about general clutter? And what about the safety equipment – did it engage, was it even in use?

Schmalzbauer points out that some late model Ford and GM vehicles carry an onboard diagnostic system (commonly called a “black box”) that can reveal additional data like speed at the time of the crash. If that’s the case, the officers may get a subpeona to download that data, too. “It’s just another piece of the puzzle,” he says. “No one clue or measurement gives us a complete picture. It’s really gathering up all the pieces and putting them together.”

While reconstructionists may spend about four hours at the actual crash scene, it can take 30 to 60 hours to complete an investigation. A truly complex case can take 100 hours or more. “I like to go back and re-interview witnesses,” reveals Packard. “Often new details emerge and sometimes we even discover new witnesses as time passes.” Schmalzbauer also often takes additional statements, obtains supplement reports and medical reports.

Reports are incredibly detailed and essentially recreate the conditions and factors surrounding the crash from start to finish. Every crash receives a causal factor – be it alcohol, excessive speed, or poor road conditions. For fatal accidents where no charges are filed, troopers simply craft a complete accident report. If charges may be involved, reports are forwarded to the local district attorney’s office for review. Says Schmalzbauer, “It’s just like what the National Transportation Safety Board does after a plane crash only we’re dealing with a different mode of transportation.”

No one disputes that people remain the number one cause of accidents, whether it’s being inattentive or driving too aggressively or simply making poor decisions. But fatality rates show a steady decline thanks to better roadways and safer vehicles, all a result of the millions of bits of statistical evidence gathered by accident recostructionists. Sums up Packard, “It’s unrealistic to say by 2025 no people will die in a car crash, but we can decrease the incidents every year. If I’m lucky, one day my job will be obsolete.”

SIDEBAR #1

• Involved in an auto accident? Remember the following.
• Call 911.
• If you are injured remain at the scene and wait for help to arrive.
• Give aid to anyone you can.
• Get out of traffic.
• State law requires all crashes (even fender-benders) be reported so be sure to file documentation with police.
• By law you must exchange drivers license, insurance information, vehicle registration and contact information with the other drivers. Don’t reveal any additional personal information such as insurance limits or type of coverage. If an officer is on scene he or she will facilitate the exchange of information.
• Carry a disposable camera in your glove compartment. Pull it out and take any pictures of your car and to other vehicles as soon as you can. Remember to snap a picture of the other car’s license plate.
• Get name of officer, his agency and the case number. You’ll need it for insurance purposes.

SIDEBAR #2

Why even bother reconstructing an accident? Perhaps even more important than determining who may be liable, crash data helps cities, counties, state and even the federal government help improve cars and roads. Car manufacturers take note of accident trends and have grown by leaps and bounds in producing safer vehicles (think about it, there was a time before air bags).

According to Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, a non-profit representing state highway safety offices nationwide, every time there’s a crash with damage exceeding a certain threshold ($1,000 is the recommended amount), a police accident report (PAR) is filed. Though PARs vary in appearance from state to state, collected data is basically the same.

Data from all PARs is collected at central repositories and then sent on to state highway offices, motor vehicle agencies, car manufacturers and others for analysis. From these numbers states, in particular, can identify trends and allocate resources to the right places at the right times.

Minnesota’s Office of Traffic Safety uses PAR data to produce its annual, 100-page Motor Vehicle Crash Facts. “That’s just step one,” explains Kathryn Swanson, the office’s director. “Based on what’s in each study and how it compares to past years, we can identify the biggest problems and invest our resources into projects most likely to mitigate those problems.” For instance, safety belt usage remains higher on Swanson’s list than school bus safety. “It’s not that school buses aren’t important, but that there are far fewer fatalities caused by school bus crashes than by lack of wearing a seat belt,” she points out. The Office of Traffic Safety also uses data to evaluate program effectiveness by noting if a particular problem, maybe auto crashes involving 15 to 19 year olds, is dropping.

Says Harscha, “Data can pinpoint who’s involved in crashes, time of day, types of vehicles, types of accidents and more. That allows state offices to put countermeasures like guard rails or extra patrols in place. For instance at a particularly bad intersection, the state might add four-way stop signs.

Bottom line: crash data is invaluable to those working to keep roads safe and reduce traffic fatalities. “Crash data is the underpinning of all we do,” asserts Swanson. “Without a modern, accurate system all decisions would be made on guess work instead of facts.”

SIDEBAR #3

Crash data also interests the federal government. Under the auspices of the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes.

Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) which incorporates data such as PARs, death certificates, and medical examiner reports, NHTSA annually collects crash statistics from 50 states and District of Columbia to produce an annual report on traffic fatality trends. With that data NHTSA can evaluate legislation, vehicle safety designs, and speed limit laws. In other words, these are the folks who get auto manufacturers to make safer bumpers or install air bags.

Their record isn’t bad. Fatality rate on the nation’s highways in 2003 was the lowest since record keeping began 29 years ago. The number of crash-related injuries also dropped to a historic low in 2003. A total of 42,436 people died and 2.89 million were injured in 2003. Rollover deaths dropped 3.3 percent. NHTSA says declining fatalities are consistent with increases in safety belt use and more crashworthy vehicles.