Research Performed by ARCCA’s Engineers Validates the Use of Google Earth Pro in Accident Reconstruction

We are pleased to announce that a technical paper researched and authored by a team of ARCCA’s engineers has just been approved for publication by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International.  The paper is titled “Validating Google Earth Pro as a Scientific Utility for Use in Accident Reconstruction”.

With the prevalence of satellite imagery in the analysis of collision events growing in the field of accident reconstruction, their research aims to quantify, refine, and compare the accuracies of measurements obtained utilizing conventional instruments to the measurements obtained using Google Earth Pro software.

Google Earth Pro often provides clear images of sites that are either difficult to access or have been altered since the date of the accident being analyzed. As intersections, painted lane delineations and other roadway features are constantly changing, the historical imaging feature of Google Earth Pro is sometimes the only way to accurately depict a collision site’s condition at the time of the accident being studied. In addition, using Google Earth Pro to take case-specific measurements of the subject intersection can be more cost efficient than conventional methods and can limit unnecessary travel.

To learn more about how our Accident Reconstructionists can use this tool to investigate your next case or claim, contact Expert Shawn Harrington at sharrington@arcca.com.

Click here to download the team’s 32-page research paper from the SAE website.
(Note: SAE charges a $27 download fee for non-members).