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.