Digital and spatial forensics
A recording that shows nothing useful visually may still have captured critical audio information. Tire tread frequency varies with speed, and braking, turn signals, horns, and warning chimes all leave a signature.
Our engineers developed and validated the method for determining vehicle speed from dash camera audio, first for passenger vehicles and then — with a modified tire equation accounting for commercial tread construction — for heavy trucks. All three papers went through SAE's peer review process.
That work makes speed determination possible in cases where the video is too dark, too compressed, or too poorly framed to support photogrammetry, and it provides an independent check where photogrammetry is available.
Beyond speed, audio establishes the timing of discrete events: the initiation of hard braking, turn signal activation, and horn use.
Scope
Peer-reviewed research
Authored by our engineers and peer-reviewed by external experts.
Vega, H., Cornetto, A., Ngo, L., Hatab, Z., et al.
SAE Technical Paper
Vega, H., Ngo, L., Hatab, Z., Cornetto, A., et al.
SAE Technical Paper
Vega, H., Ngo, J., Engleman, K., Suway, J.
SAE Technical Paper
Who does this work
Accident reconstruction and vehicle systems
2 publications
PE, ACTAR
Accident reconstruction, human factors, and vehicle testing
4 publications
PE, ACTAR
Accident reconstruction and audio analysis
6 publications
Send us the incident location, the date, and what is in dispute. We'll discuss what analysis is possible with the evidence that exists, and what it would take to get.
