Accident reconstruction is part of traffic accident investigation. Police officers, crime scene investigators and other professionals interested in this field must first acquire training and knowledge in traffic investigation, through courses that are approximately 12 weeks long. These are followed by several introductory and advanced courses in accident reconstruction that range from five to 10 days.
Accident reconstruction courses utilize a great deal of physics for calculating how an accident occurred. Topics discussed in introductory courses include basic equations of motion, kinetic energy, speed estimates from damage, angles of collision, computers in reconstruction and heavy-truck braking capabilities. Advanced courses include trigonometry in reconstruction, injury mechanisms, vehicle damage and pedestrian and motorcycle accidents.
Refresher courses are available for people already trained in accident reconstruction. These courses are three days long and include a review of vehicle dynamics, new technologies, conservation of momentum and case studies.