DETERMINATION OF THE TECHNICAL ABILITY TO AVOID PEDESTRIAN COLLISION IN CASE OF NON-EMERGENCY BRAKING OF A PASSENGER CAR UNDER LIMITED INITIAL DATA CONDITIONS

Abstract

The article proposes a method for determining the mechanism
and circumstances of a road traffic incident when certain initial
data are missing. The study is based on the analysis of a specific
traffic event in which a vehicle was moving at a given speed and
collided with a pedestrian after a dangerous situation arose. Based
on the provided input data – including the vehicle’s speed, the
distance it traveled during braking before impact, and the time
of movement after contact until stop – the actual deceleration of
the vehicle, its stopping distance under emergency braking, and
the distance to the point of collision at the moment of danger
occurrence were determined. Calculations were performed using
widely accepted mechanical formulas applied in automotive
forensic examinations. The scientific novelty of the research lies
in the development of an approach based on the use of video
recording materials to determine the temporal and spatial
parameters of vehicle motion after impact, and their application
as input data for establishing the circumstances of the incident.
It was established that under emergency braking conditions, the
vehicle’s stopping distance was shorter than its distance from
the collision site at the moment the danger arose. This fact
confirms the objective technical possibility of avoiding the traffic
accident. However, the driver did not utilize the maximum
possible braking effect, resulting in a collision with the pedestrian.
A comparative analysis of the obtained results proved that the
driver’s actions did not provide sufficient speed reduction to
prevent the pedestrian collision. Furthermore, a method for
determining vehicle deceleration under incident conditions is
presented, taking into account temporal and spatial movement
parameters after impact. This method can be used by forensic
experts during automotive technical examinations of road traffic
 incidents. The findings are of significant importance not only for
the technical assessment of driver behavior but also for improving
training programs on correct actions in hazardous situations.
The proposed approaches can be applied for educational
purposes and in the professional development of
specialists involved in the investigation of road traffic accidents.