Question:
What was the speed of the vehicle that skidded into your vehicle?
Answer:
Post-accident examination of the skid marks by an accident reconstructionist will reveal the speed of the vehicle at impact.
Example:
You are stopped in traffic. An inattentive and speeding driver behind you fails to stop and slams into your vehicle. At the scene, the other driver tells the investigating officer that he was traveling at the posted speed limit, 35 miles per hour, but you know from the impact and the fact that your vehicle now looks like an accordion that he was flying. Post-accident examination of the length and character of the skid marks will reveal the speed of the vehicle at the time of initial braking and impact. An accident reconstructionist will measure the length of the skid marks and ascertain the type of road surface present to determine the coefficient of friction. For example, a vehicle with good brakes traveling on dry pavement that leaves 120 feet of skid marks was traveling 55 miles per hour.