Human Factors from Driver Research Institute

"I recognize that I'm human, and the older I get, the more I realize how fallible I am, how fallible we all are."

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Roxane Gay

Human factors, as it relates to crash reconstruction, is the science that deals with how drivers respond to various traffic situations. Heath has been trained by Driver Research Institute in driver perception-response to help answer these questions. Heath was also a beta-tester for Driver Research Institute's transition to a web based platform. Response software has been accepted by U.S. courts to be a valid means of evaluating driver perception-response because it is based upon peer-reviewed research. It's not simply a number from a book. You won't be provided with a generic perception/reaction time. You will be provided with one that is based upon your crash scenario and one that is based in science. The software also reports how your driver compared to those in the research (15th percentile, 85th percentile, etc.). You also get the case specific research to back it up. The goal of a driver perception-response analysis is to compare how your driver performed when compared to those in the research. Stated simply, Closing Speed Consulting doesn't calculate the driver perception time. Response software provides that. The crash reconstructionist simply compares the pre-impact response of their subject driver with driver responses in the research, who  responded to substantially similar situations. It's a classic scientific comparison.